Out Here in the Fields
by LaneIA
Summary: AU. What if our CSI's had been soldiers in Vietnam? Providing the needed distractions are USO members Stella and Lindsay.
1. Chapter 1

The shapely blonde wrapped her arms around Flack's neck and leaned into him; the firm outline of her breast pressed against his bicep as her lips traced a path up his neck. Reaching his ear she whispered in a husky voice, the lust evident in her tone and words. "Don, I want you now. I want to feel you in me." Her fingers gripped tightly in his hair as she hungrily devoured his lips. Pulling away she looked deeply into his eyes, "Come on Flack."

Donald Flack Jr. groaned deeply as the buxom blonde rubbed against him. He could feel his dick hardening as she writhed.

"Goddamn it Flack." The woman's voice deepened.

Flack shifted his position, trying to give himself more room; the weight of the blonde was becoming uncomfortable.

"Flack, if you don't get your ass off of me, so help me I'll shoot you myself."

He blinked, looking up and felt the coolness of the water as it struck his face. He shook his head, the image of the blonde fading from his vision. He became acutely aware of the hard on pressing against his leg, trapped by his pants. Shifting and readjusting himself into a more comfortable position, he groaned.

"Flack, I don't want to be a party to your wet dreams. Damn it, it's bad enough I've got to be this close to you, but I don't want you rubbing up against me like a two dollar hooker." The gravely voice next to him replied.

"Don't worry Messer. If I was going to want to swing the other way, you ain't my type."

"Shit, it's been long enough for you that anything with a hole is your type!"

"You got me, every time you bend over I get warm all over looking at your pimply white ass. Now shut up and let me get back to my dream."

Both men quieted down as they tried to grab some shut-eye. It had been several minutes when Danny's voice sounded again. "Ever wonder about where you'd be if you weren't here?"

"That's fucking profound Messer. Did you spend much time on that deep thought?" Don's tone was sarcastic. He hadn't been back to sleep yet, but he had hoped to drop back into the arms of his dream.

"No, really. If I hadn't got pissed off and dropped out of college when I got cut from the baseball team, I wouldn't be here right now. I'd be clean and dry, enjoying everything New York has to offer. Plus, I'd be sleeping with Jeannie Scalero. I had her so close to giving it up to me before I left." Danny paused and took a deep breath, "I'd get my degree and find a respectable job somewhere. Life would be fine."

"Get over it. With your luck you would have knocked her up, her Daddy would have made you an offer you couldn't refuse and it would have been a wedding Mass at St. Pius. You would have gone into the family business and be renting a third floor walk-up. Do you want me to continue?"

"Hell, you don't know that Flack. I'm just saying that my life would have been different." He reached for an insect bite and scratched it, the itching only intensifying. "I hate these damn bugs. Where would you be?"

Flack sighed, Danny was in a talkative mood and that meant sleep wouldn't be returning soon. He could understand, he had felt the same way once too. That by talking about life it would make it seem more real and this would be a bad dream. "I'd still be here." His voice held no sarcasm, for what he said was the truth. "I'm third generation. God willing someday I'll have a son and he'll be the fourth. Once I'm home my old man wants me to go to the academy and be third generation there too."

"Hey imagine, if I go into my Dad's business and you go into your Dad's we would see each other."

"I don't know if arresting you would be the way I would want to stay in touch."

Danny pushed his glasses up higher on his noise. "Besides, I'd be so smooth you would never have any evidence on me." He reflected for a moment. "I wouldn't really work with my Pop. A lot of what he does is on the up and up, but there's some stuff that he does for Sassone that I don't want any part of." Danny shifted again, "Besides, he has Louie to help him. He seems to enjoy it."

Both men quieted again and Flack was sure that Danny had drifted off to sleep. It seemed that he had just closed his eyes when all hell seemed to break loose. The rapid sound of gunfire brought both men instantly awake. Together they took up a defensive position and tried to locate where the enemy fire was coming from.

All around them the sounds of battle raged, gunfire and men yelling. Flack scanned quickly for targets as he squeezed the trigger of his M-16, short burst raking at the foliage. He could feel Danny at his back, firing in the other direction.

There was a slight change in the sound of the fight. Lowering his rifle, Flack yelled loudly trying to make himself heard over the remaining gunfire. "Cease fire!" A few weapons still were being fired, "Cease fire, God-damn it!"

With a last explosive pop, the guns fell silent. Both Flack and Danny climbed from the foxhole and warily looked around. Several others were up and moving, checking for wounded.

Flack barked orders at several men and watched as they moved into the under brush looking for any enemy bodies. He turned and glanced around the small clearing. Danny was helping another man with a wounded soldier. Moving to them, Flack questioned Danny. "How bad?"

"Looks like you better call for a dust off. He's got a round trapped in his upper thigh." Danny wiped blood from his hands onto his pants. "It doesn't look like it's hit anything major, but he can't make the trip back on foot."

"I'll radio it in." Flack glanced down at his watch. "We've got two hours until sunrise. Can he make it until then? I'd rather not bring a chopper in if Charlie is still close."

"Yeah, he can make it. Did you know you're bleeding?"

Looking at where Danny was pointing, Flack examined his arm. A slash of red was visible along his bicep. "Looks like I caught it on something. It's a long way from my heart." He walked over to check on several other men with wounds.

Several hours passed and just as the dawn was breaking, Flack and his men neared the field that would be their pick-up zone. Soon the sounds of rotors could be heard and within minutes the Huey's broke over the tree line coming in low for a landing.

The men on the ground provided support as others assisted the wounded. It didn't take long to load the helicopters and they climbed back into the air.

One of the men on the door guns yelled over the noise to Don. "I'm getting tired of hauling your ass out of the fire Flack." A smile on his broad Texan face belied the words spoken.

"Screw you Stokes." Flack shouted back. The good-natured ribbing was a part of the price to pay for a pick-up. Don settled in and glanced around at the weary faces of his men. He hated to think of anyone getting wounded, but flying was a hell of a lot better than humping it back in from the boonies.

They would drop the injured at the hospital in Da Nang and then be transported back to their firebase. Flack's squad had been out for long enough that it would be good to get back. "Hell, we might be up for a little R & R." he thought to himself. Maybe then he could do something to get rid of those dreams he had been having. There was plenty of little mama-sans who would be happy to see a fresh supply of jugheads with money to spare. A smile crossed his face and soon he was deep in a dream.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's notes: Thanks for the reviews so far. I really appreciate your feedback; positive or negative. This idea has been kicking around in my mind for a while now. Not normally one to pen an AU story, the idea of Lieutenant Dan Taylor and Mac Taylor both being military men made me go "mmmmmmm". I know that in the movie Lieutenant Dan is Army and that Mac was a Marine, however for this story I have made Lieutenant Dan a Marine as well. All congrats to the sharp-minded readers who noticed a certain Texan by the name of Stokes manning the gun door. He might be back.

As for our main characters, the only think I'm really messing with is their ages. Everyone is younger.

It was later in the afternoon by the time they returned to their base of operations. Like many firebases, this one had been establish long enough that it had the "lived in" look. Flack grabbed his pack and waited for Danny to meet up with him.

Minutes later a weary looking Danny trudged up, in an instant the mother hen routine began. "Did you get your arm looked at? You know how quick an infection can set in out here. Damn country, will be the death of us all."

He knew that if he didn't assure Danny he would be in for a continuing rant so Flack quickly turned to show his shoulder, a fresh looking bandage covered the injury. "Yes mother! The nurse even gave me a lollipop for not crying when they gave me a tetanus booster. Now lay off me. Christ, you're worse than a woman."

"Hey you want to go home in a bag cause you didn't get a scratch cleaned up, don't let me stop you."

The slightly offended tone in Messer's voice caused Don to pause slightly. Maybe he had been a touch too abrasive. "Sorry Danny. I'm a prick. I just want to get back to the hooch and sleep for a week."

"I hear ya. Being out on patrol a guy never really sleeps." The two men were getting closer to the tent that they shared with several others. Danny motioned to the Lance Corporal standing beside the tent door. "Wonder what he wants?"

"I'm guessing he ain't delivering good news." Flack intoned.

"Sergeant Flack." The young man nodded to Don. "You're wanted right away in Captain Hammerback's office. Said for you to get your ass over there as soon as you landed." He turned and hurried back towards the center of the camp where the Captain's command was.

"So much for a shower." Flack ducked inside the tent and eased his pack to the ground. "I'll be back, see if you can scrounge up a beer for me."

"Will do. Make sure you ask about that R & R we've got coming." Danny was already striping off his dirt and blood encrusted fatigues.

"It'll depend on him. I'm not in the mood for an ass chewing on how this patrol went down."

"Shit, stick us out for a week in the same God forsaken spot and give Charlie plenty of time to figure out just how in the hell to kill us all. What does he think is going to happen? Sure we send out patrols, but those little gooks still slip around us every time." Danny pushed his glasses up further on his nose, the rage building in him causing him to shake slightly.

"Hey, you're preaching to the choir here. I better shag ass. I'll be back." Flack lowered his tall frame and exited the canvas tent.

It didn't take long to get to the largest canvas tent that served as the field command. Knocking on the wooden door, Flack waited until he heard the gruff voice of Captain "Sid" Hammerback . A grizzled veteran, he had seen action in the Korean Conflict.

Entering, Flack snapped a salute towards the Captain. He held it until Hammerback looked up and returned it wearily. "At ease Sergeant." He removed his glasses and methodically wiped them with a cloth from his desk. "I hear you had some trouble out on patrol."

"Yes sir." Flack cringed internally, knowing that he would probably be on the receiving end of a chewing out.

"You're not the only one. Several of our other patrols reported in with enemy troop presence as well."

'No shit.' Thought Flack to himself. 'Did you think they would just give up when they saw us.'? His face remained impassive, revealing none of his thoughts.

"In fact one took heavy casualties. Lieutenant Taylor was out with Sergeant Moran's squad and they were very hard hit. Not even sure at this point if Taylor will make it, he was badly hit in the legs and lost a lot of blood. I've requested replacements, but they won't be able to send me any until who the hell knows when. Until I get a new Lieutenant in for Taylor, I've sending your squad and the rest of Moran's on a 72 hour pass. Once you get back I'll be rotating your squad back on patrol. Let your men know Flack."

"Thank you sir!" Flack saluted and turned and left quickly. He didn't want to take the chance that Hammerback would decide to ride him for his own squads less than stellar performance.

Before returning to tell his men about their good fortune, he sought out the answer to the questions that had been bothering him ever since Hammerback had mentioned Moran's squad. Walking into a tent he looked around for a member of Moran's group of men. It was empty. The next tent held two men, both of which were sound asleep.

Walking over and kicking the bed, Flack yelled at the sleeping Marine. "On you're feet Marine."

A slightly disorientated private stumbled to his feet followed by the second man. Looking at Flack, the young man visibly relaxed, realizing that he wasn't facing an officer. "Yes Sergeant?"

"Heard you took some fire. How's Moran." Flack stood questioningly.

The man's face fell. "Took one in the back. Gump pulled him out. Hell, he brought a lot of the guys out, even Lieutenant Dan. The medic said there wasn't much to do for Sarge. He bled out before the dust off."

Flack's face tightened. Master Sergeant Gavin Moran had been a friend. Even the difference in their age and rank, both men found some common ground and had forged a friendship. Flack had been part of Moran's squad until his own promotion had gotten him reassigned.

Without a word, Flack turned and walked out of the tent. Making his way back towards his own, he ran into several of the men under his command. Telling them that for the next 72 hours they were free men did little to raise Flack's spirits. Good men had died today.

Stella Bonasera looked at her reflection in the mirror. Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she began applying her make-up. There was a show scheduled for four that afternoon and it was time to start getting ready.

The quiet of the dressing room would soon be replaced with the noise that only 11 young women could make. Stella snorted lightly. Nothing like being with the other girls to make her feel old. Most of the other dancers were very young, several right out of high school and that made Stella who had been out eight years feel like the spinster chaperone.

Finishing up her make-up, she took out the ponytail and moved on to the costume. The red sequined shorts reveled long and shapely legs. Dancer's legs she told herself. Ever since she had graduated from St. Catherine's, Stella had worked to make a career out of dancing. Of course the nuns at the orphanage had been scandalized when Stella had announced her choice of career and when she had left, cheap suitcase in her hand, she had never looked back.

It had been a struggle. Supporting herself with a job as a waitress, the owner taking pity on a fellow Greek. Stella hadn't had the heart to tell him that she didn't really know what she was. The problem with being an orphan, you don't come with much information about your heritage.

So between delivering orders of dolmathes and spanakopita she worked on finding a job within the industry. There had been a few jobs, but nothing like the ones she had dreamed of. Then one day, while reading the open auditions, she saw an ad for USO girls. Showing up for an audition she found herself suddenly needing to decide between the known of New York or the unknown of Vietnam.

It was going on her third year and working with the USO show had given Stella more self-confidence, she had even started singing and performing skits with the comedian. She didn't let the popularity of the show and the whistles of the troops go to her head. She even warned the new girls not to let it go to their head, "Hell, you could have one peg leg and as long as you have tits these soldier boys wouldn't care."

"Hey Stella. I knew you would be here."

The voice of her fellow dancer broke into Stella's memories. Stella turned as she fastened the blue and white halter-top. "Hello Lindsay."

The fresh-faced young girl was always happy. Unlike many of the other girls who thought of Stella as a washed up never-been, Lindsay took to the older woman like an awed kid sister. She was eager to learn and she had elected Stella as the teacher.

Stella didn't really mind. Growing up in the orphanage she was used to younger kids clinging to her and she had found that she had missed the feeling of family. It hadn't hurt that during Lindsay's first week the kid had been so homesick that Stella had been the only dancer to provide a shoulder to cry on. It was at that time the friendship between the two formed.

"Ready for a busy weekend?" Being located in such a large base, they gave shows Thursday through Sunday, on the other days they spent time visiting the base hospital.

"I'm ready. Did you have a good time last night?" Lindsay looked at her questioningly as she sat down and started putting on her own make-up.

"The problem with those Navy boys is that they are all part octopus. Too many hands."

"Too bad. He seemed like he was really nice." Lindsay's voice was wistful.

Stella slid on the white boots that completed the outfit. "Besides, how many times do I have to tell you that you never listen to the lines that these guys use? You are never going to find love with any of these soldiers. Most of them are lonely for good old Mary-Sue back home and when they see us they think we are as lonely as they are." Stella stood up and assessed her reflection. "Take the dinner, maybe the drink, but nothing more."

The sound of laughter marked the arrival of the other dancers. The room suddenly became too small and Stella stowed her make-up and headed out to the stage. 'Giving anything more is a mistake. One you better remember Stella.'


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Thanks for the reviews, it really strokes the ego. I should warn you that I'm not normally so fast with the updates. We've had terrible weather and school has been cancelled so I got extra writing time in. I also forgot to include the normal disclaimers, such as….I don't own these characters, I'm not making any money doing this. Thanks for letting me play!

csi csi csi csi

When Flack got back to the hooch after passing the word among the squad, Danny was sitting outside in the shade of the tent talking to Cowboy Bobbie. A newer addition to the squad, Bobbie had been christened Cowboy when he had insistently spoken about growing up on a ranch out west. Danny had taken him under his wing and Flack had to admit that the kid was a good Marine.

"Hey Sarge." Bobbie looked up and handed Flack a semi-cold beer. "Thought you might want one of these."

"Thanks Cowboy." Flack said as he accepted the brew. "Good news. We've got 72 hours of R & R."

Danny and Bobbie both reacted positively to the news. "About time!" Bobbie exclaimed, "I haven't had longer than 24 hours since I got out here. So are you two headed in to Da Nang?"

Shaking his head, Flack replied. "I plan on hitting that cot in there and sleeping for at least 24 hours straight."

Crestfallen, Bobbie looked at Danny. "Don't tell me you're going to do the same. Come on, I hear they have a great USO show, I've been waiting to catch it."

Danny looked at the young Marine and then at Flack. "You know Flack, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to head to town. We could get some real beer, some food and maybe you can find yourself a number 1 girl who'll let you turn on that Flack charm that we all know and love."

Flack shook his head again. "I don't feel much like partying Danny. I didn't tell you that Moran's squad got pasted as well."

Lowering his beer, Danny was quiet, waiting for Don to finish.

"Moran and some others didn't make it." Flack took a drink.

"Son of a bitch." Danny muttered under his breath.

"Plus, Lieutenant Dan was with them. Their not sure if he's going to make it. Got hit pretty badly. Captain said well be getting a new Lieuy in, but he's not sure how soon."

"That's a bitch alright." Danny replied. "Lieutenant Dan's a good man to lead. We'll probably get some shake-n-bake newbie that'll piss his self in the first firefight."

Bobbie had been sitting quietly listening to the two men. Now, he looked at them, a serious look on his face. "You know those guys wouldn't want us sitting around moping about it. They'd want us to be out living life to the fullest because if we're going die next day out, we would need to make today count."

Danny nodded. "He's right Flack. Get your shit together and lets get over to the copters and see when the next one is heading in."

Draining the can, Flack thought over his options. 'What the hell' he told himself. "Alright give me 10 to toss some stuff together. I'll shower when we get in." He disappeared into the tent.

"So who is in this USO show that you want to see so badly?" Danny inquired.

"Well, I'm not really sure, but I thought they had mentioned that Wayne Newton had been there last time."

"He's no Bob Hope, but as long as there are girls, who cares." Danny stood up and tossed his empty towards a trash barrel. "Go grab your gear and get back here."

With a smile on his face, Bobbie double-timed to his tent and started shoving clean clothes into his duffle. His eye caught a stack of letters sitting on the crate that doubled as a desk; he smiled and picked up one from his sister. It had been a long time since he had seen her; she had just started going to college at the University when he had been shipped overseas. Putting the letter back he thought about home. He missed going out riding across the family's ranch, his mother's pot roast and apple dumplings and sky so big that you swore there were a million more stars in the sky. There were stars here, but little time to appreciate them. Grabbing his bag, Bobbie started back to Danny's tent.

csi csi csi csi csi

He was just coming off R & R. It had been a week's worth of time and so he had elected to go to Hawaii. The time spent on the warm beaches drinking cold beer had been worth the trip. Not to mention the young lady he had met the first night there. She was so different from the girls one would meet in country. He didn't feel that he needed to watch his back or his wallet ever moment.

But by the end of the week he was ready to return. He knew that he would be transferred; the wheels had been set in motion before he left. Spending the first two tours of duty in Saigon attached to the embassy, he had been more at risk of getting hung over than shot at. His primary duties had been to accompany higher-ranking officers and do their bidding.

The problem had begun when a certain major had developed a fondness for a pretty almond eyed beauty. Trouble ensued when said beauty scorned the major's advances. Responding one evening to the screams he heard coming from the major's office, he broke in and prevented the rape.

Looking back, it might have been better for his career if he hadn't chosen to punch the major. By the time the MP's arrived, the major had recovered enough to prepare his side of the story. The result was that Lieutenant Mac Taylor would be reassigned to somewhere far away from Saigon.

csi csi csi csi

The matinee had gone well. Of course they had done this specific set of routines enough that it was ingrained in everyone's mind. In a couple of weeks they would start working on a new show, what would be selection would depend on if they had any real "big" names coming in. Several weeks ago Wayne Newton had dropped by and had added his act to the one they were currently performing.

It seemed as if everyone was crowding around the two sinks, hurrying to get the stage make-up off and their normal make-up back on. Most of the girls from the show would be going out on dates; solders who had been lucky enough to garner the girl's attention.

Stella sat back watching the good-natured pushing and shoving. She had turned down all requests that evening. 'A good book and a good nights sleep' she told herself.

Lindsay came back from the sink, face scrubbed clean. "Got a date Stella?"

"No, tonight I'll be curling up with Henry Sutton." Stella used cold cream to remove the heavy make-up.

"Stella!" Lindsay looked aghast, "Who is this? You didn't tell me you were seeing anyone." She moved closer, waiting for the details.

Laughing at the shocked look upon Lindsay's face, Stella shook her head. "He's an author. He's got a new book out, The Exhibitionist. I'm going to be reading tonight."

"Oh." Lindsay's embarrassment was evident.

"Besides, remember my rule. I don't bring home puppies, kittens or soldiers." Stella wagged her finger towards her younger friend. "Remember that."

Smiling, Lindsay grabbed the finger. "Yes Mother!"

"Your Mother will thank me for keeping her daughter's virtue intact. Besides, don't you have a boyfriend back in Montana?"

"No! I'm not planning on returning to Montana for anything other than periodic visits." Lindsay was so serious. "When we finish over here I'll move to New York with you. We'll be two career girls living in a furnished apartment and working on Broadway!"

"The problem with that dream Linds is that hundreds of other girls are dreaming it too. When I leave here I'll probably try to get into a secretarial pool." Stella mimicked taking notes, "Ready for dictation Mr. Rockefeller."

"Don't talk like that Stella. You are one of the best dancers I've ever seen."

"See many professional dancers out there in Montana?" Stella had stowed away her items and stood up, stretching. "Have a good time on your date. Think you'll be late?"

"I don't know. He's a corporal, so he should have enough money for a good dinner." Lindsay grabbed her small purse. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he minds his manners."

"Good girl." Stella gave her a small hug and headed back to the building that housed the girls. Looking at the group of would-be Romeos standing outside the stage door waiting, Stella smiled to herself. 'Yes a good book was looking better all the time.'

csi csi csi csi

Catching a ride with copter heading in to the base hospital to pick up some recently released Marines, Flack, Danny and Bobbie sat on the incredibly uncomfortable jump seats. There were several others from their squad hitching a lift and the mood was light as the men looked forward to kicking back for a while.

A sudden drop caused the newer Marines to grab onto the straps. Stokes, riding the door and manning the m-60 laughed at them. "I don't think you boys would make it on the back of a bull. Riding this copter is a lot like that."

"Shit, Stokes. This is like being on your momma. Only she's a whole lot bigger and the bull smells better." Flack yelled back.

Grinning, Stokes flipped him the bird and went back to watching. Occasionally he would let loose with a stream of fire. "Don't mess with Texas Charlie-san", he yelled out the door.

Danny and Flack glanced at each other and shook their heads; Stokes was crazy. Not section 8, sending you home crazy, but he took a little too much pleasure in performing his job. 'Hell, more like him and maybe the rest of us will get home a little sooner' thought Danny.

The copter sat down and when the rotors had slowed enough to keep them from getting covered with dust, the men slid out of the bay. Heading into the commercial district, the three men first found a hotel and stowed their gear.

Laughing, the three took to the streets and went in search of a good time. The night was young and so were they.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's notes: Thanks for continuing to read and review. I really appreciate the reviews, they help me (hopefully) improve as a writer.

Csi Csi Csi Csi Csi

The next day saw the men getting up at the crack of noon. Closing down one of the local bars the night before, Flack had made his way back to the hotel while Danny and Bobbie "accompanied" two of the young ladies who frequented the bar home. They had claimed that it was part of the Marine's code to honor women and that required walking the girls back to their homes.

Now after showering and changing into clean uniforms, the men took to the city. Bobbie had wanted to pick up some items that he could then send back home for his family. Heading towards the marketplace, both Flack and Danny gave him pointers on how to bargain with the merchants.

"Only have one or two dollars out. If they see more they'll jack up their price." Danny sagely informed him.

"Tell them nhiều quá." Flack added. "It means too much. Hold out what you think you want to pay and if they refuse just say nhiều quá until they get tired of arguing. If they won't accept your price they'll walk away."

Soon they were walking among the stalls of venders, the sounds and smells foreign to their ears and noses. The men perused the wide variety of handcrafted items. It didn't take Bobbie long to pick out items for his mother and father.

"What do you think I should get for my sister?" Bobbie asked after much looking.

"I don't know, but hurry up I'm starving." Flack intoned seriously. He was well known around the base for eating constantly but never filling out his lean frame.

"Lets just grab something here." Danny replied. "After the show we can go out to eat and do up the town."

"What? Don't you have plans with your little momma-sans for tonight?" Flack hadn't heard much more about the girls.

Both Danny and Bobbie flushed slightly. Danny finally cleared his throat under Flack's inquiring gaze. "Ah, lets just say that the little ladies were working girls."

Flack's laughter caused some heads to turn in the direction of the Marines. "No wonder they were so interested in you two."

"Yeah, well. Let me tell you that Danny Messer ain't never had to pay for it and I sure as hell ain't starting now!" A flustered Danny blustered.

"They were sure insistent though." Bobbie added. "Between grabbing for my Johnson or my wallet I didn't know what to be covering. We got them home and their "big brother" was waiting, he didn't take too kindly to us wasting their time."

Flack arched an eyebrow at Danny. "So? How did you two get out of that?"

"Paid him $5.00 each and got the hell out of there." Danny spoke softly. "They sure didn't look like whores. I usually can tell them apart."

"Got to remember the ones around base have usually been around the block a time or two. I suppose that here in Da Nang they get a fresher supply." Don sympathized. When he had first arrived in country he had been impressed with his ability to attract the local ladies until Moran had filled him in. The thought of Moran's booming laughter when shattering Flack's ego gave Don a pang of sadness; he would never again hear it ringing through the camp.

Bobbie pointed, "Hey, that smells good. What do you say we eat here?"

Flack looked at the meat being served. Getting the vender's attention Flack asked, "chó san?"

The toothless grin of the vender accompanied a vigorously nodding head. The vender spread out his hands proudly over his food.

Smiling back, Flack shook his head and the men moved down the row. Bobbie looked in disbelief. "Where are we going? That smelled great! I thought you were hungry?"

"I am. Hey Cowboy, did you have any pets back on the ranch besides your horse?"

Unsure where this was headed, Bobbie replied. "Yeah. I had a dog named Skipper."

"Well, let me put it this way. That wonderful smelling bar-b-que was Skipper's cousin."

Spinning around, Bobbie's face turned up in disgust. "No way! You mean he was selling dog meat!"

"Yeah. So unless you're interested in eating Rover on a stick, I suggest we find someplace else to dine." Flack turned to Danny. "Of course I could've let him eat it."

Danny laughed and put his hand on Bobbie's shoulder, "Don't worry Bobbie. Flack's maturing. He only pulled that trick once on me."

"You ate dog?" Bobbie's voice was full of disbelief.

"Sure did. Of course Flack claims he didn't know the language so I'm chowing down on Lassie and we meet up with some of the more veteran guys who tell me what I'm having. Flack's pissing himself laughing so hard and I'm puking out my guts." Danny leaned in, "but you know the worst part?" He waited a beat before he continued. "It wasn't that bad tasting."

The disgust was still in Bobbie's voice, "How in the hell can these people live like this; eating dogs and some of that other crap."

Don's voice was stern as he gazed at Bobbie. "Hey, don't go putting down these people. A person makes due with what they got. They been eating dog for a long time."

"Yeah," added Danny. "My Aunt Maria makes a killer Veal Scaloppini. But what's veal? Cute little baby calves."

"Well," said Bobbie slightly chastised. "It just seems wrong to eat man's best friend."

"Come on, let's find something else to eat." Danny led the way through the market.

Csi csi csi csi csi

His plane had landed at the Da Nang Air Base, the twin 10,000 foot runways making this airfield one of the more highly used ones. Finding his way to the Marine Command, Mac presented himself and waited for his orders.

He was greeted almost an hour later and given papers that showed his transfer to the command of platoon under the command of Captain Hammerback. Arrangements had been already made for dropping him off and that left him with several hours to kill.

Mac decided to go off base and find something to eat. He had grown to love the spicy flavors of the Vietnamese food and the thought of having creamed chipped beef on toast, aka shit on a shingle, when good food was to be had, was a travesty.

Csi csi csi csi csi

Stella had been up for hours. She had already washed out several dresses and now they hung on a line strung outside. In the process of tidying her already neat quarters a knock on the door interrupted the song she was singing.

Tossing open the door she saw Lindsay standing in front of her; eyes red from crying. Enveloping her into a hug, Stella asked softly. "What's wrong Linds?"

"Stella," the young girl sniffled. "You are so right. Everything you've ever told me has always been the truth."

Guessing where the conversation was headed, Stella probed gently. "Something happen last night?"

"Yes," Lindsay slid out of Stella's hug and tossed herself on the bed in defeat. "Everything was going so good and then Wham! He was all over me and didn't want to take no for an answer. It seems that he thought buying dinner meant he had paid for me."

"What happened?" Stella sat next to her young friend.

"I did what you told me to do and then ran for home." Lindsay's face turned red at the memory. "But the worst part was that he started yelling at me, calling me names. We had been in a nightclub and so many people were there. They were all watching and laughing. Stella," she wailed. "I don't know how I can ever show my face around town again."

Stella pulled her into another hug. "You can and you will. Men like him are out for one thing and it doesn't matter how they get it. You're better than that Lindsay. Remember what I told you."

"It's easy for you to say. You're so strong Stella. I'm sure no one has ever taken advantage of you like that."

Shaking her head, Stella continued. "I wasn't always so smart. Remember, I grew up in an orphanage and nuns are notorious for not giving pointers on dating. I got plenty of lessons while in New York and then when I got over here I thought I was going to find Mr. Right." Stella trailed off slightly as the memories returned. "I met a guy, just out of Officer's Training who was going to be the next Patton. He was bold and handsome and I fell for him like a load of bricks. It wasn't until we had become "very" friendly that he told me that as much fun as I was, he had a girl back home in Chicago that was waiting for him. So, he went off to conquer the world and I requested to come to Da Nang. Believe me Saigon wasn't big enough to hide in. I felt that every where I went everyone was looking at me like I was no better than a tea room girl."

Lindsay sat listening to Stella's tale. She had always suspected something had happened to make Stella sound so jaded when it came to men in uniform. "Did you ever hear anything from him?"

"Are you kidding? The Marine motto is Semper Fi, always faithful and when it came to that girl back home, that was Mac Taylor, always faithful."

Csi csi csi csi csi

Mac had found a little restaurant not far from the base. Settling down he scanned the menu and gave his order to the proprietor. Waiting for his food, he scanned the room seeing a mixture of American and Vietnamese faces.

The door opened and the bells attached to it jingled. Looking over to the new arrival, Mac found himself speechless.

Csi csi csi csi csi

After washing up her face, Lindsay looked and felt better. Looking at her watch she spoke up. "Want to go grab a bite to eat? I'm starving. I guess crying works up a girls appetite."

"Sure, I hadn't planned on making anything. I don't want to go to far, lets just go over to Tommy-San's and grab a bite." Stella pulled her long wavy hair back with several barrettes.

Tommy-San's wasn't really the name of the café, but because most of the girls couldn't pronounce the owner's name, they jokingly called him Tommy. The owner loved the attention and gleefully proclaimed himself, Tommy-San.

It was a short walk and minutes later Lindsay was pushing open the door, the little bells jingling. The lunch crowd was still light and she could see that there were other Americans already at the tables.

Stella followed and while glancing for a spot to sit her eyes made contact with the piercing gaze of a Marine in uniform. It was not just any Marine; it was Mac Taylor.

They both paused a moment, much being conveyed without words. Suddenly Mac stood, "Stella."

Without a word, Stella turned and walked out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's notes: I wanted to let you know that during the week I won't be up dating daily, just too hard finding enough time to write a chapter daily. But I'll try to up date as fast as I can. Remember keep those reviews coming….I'm such a review whore, I get so excited that you like the story! Cue the Sally Fields clip "You like me….You really like me!"

Csi Csi Csi

Stella felt that all the air in her body had disappeared. She couldn't breath. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment. As soon as she heard him say her name she had wheeled around and exited the restaurant. The warmth of the day suddenly cooler as her own body generated the white-hot fire of rage. 'How is this possible' she thought. 'I speak his name aloud for the first time in over a year and he appears.'

Csi Csi Csi

Lindsay had heard her friend's name called out but hadn't given it another thought until she turned to see Stella walking out the door. She watched as a handsome Marine stood and watched the exit with a stoic face. He turned slightly and his eyes caught Lindsay's. She wasn't able to read all of the emotions in his eyes, but she thought she caught a flash of hurt. He tossed money down on the table and picked up his hat. With a nod to her he walked out the door.

Csi Csi Csi

The sound of Stella's heels were muffled in the dusty road; had it been concrete they would have beat a staccato rhythm. She was hurrying back to the USO apartments, there she would shut her down and try to convince herself that this had been all a dream. The blood pounding in her ears masked the sound of the approaching footfalls.

"Stella, wait. Please." Mac's voice was insistent. "We need to talk."

Spinning around Stella glared at him, "Talk it out! Mac, the time for talking is long over. You made your choice and as far as I'm concerned this conversation is over." She turned and started off.

Mac grabbed her arm and forcefully turned her back to look at him. "Talk? I don't seem to remember you giving me much time to talk. I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I didn't think things were going to move that quickly."

"Quickly? We had been seeing each other for months and sleeping together as well. If you wanted to slow things down so you could explain to me about your fiancé back home, I think maybe the time would have been before you screwed me."

"Damn it Stella, I was going to break up with Claire, but she wrote me that she was pregnant! What did you want me to do? I couldn't leave her to face that by herself."

"Congratulations Daddy," Stella spat out as she tried to wrench her arm free of his grip.

"She lost the baby." Mac voice was tinged with regret.

Stella shook her head, "How convenient. Girl thinks her boyfriend is getting ready to dump her and she just happens to get a "little" pregnant." Stella looked past Mac and saw a concerned Lindsay bearing down on them. "I think you need to get your hands off me and get the hell back to Saigon."

Mac sensing his time was short leaned close, "Think what you will Stella, but the truth is I loved you and nothing will change that. I'm sorry it ended like it did, but I had to do right by Claire." He let her go and turned to go. "I've been transferred out of Saigon, so we'll probably being seeing each other around. I'd appreciate it if you didn't shoot me the next time you saw me." Without waiting for an answer he walked back towards the airfield.

"Stella? Are you all right? Who was that?" Lindsay was full of concerned questions.

Stella swiped at the tears that had sprung from her eyes. "That was the reason that you shouldn't take up with anyone in the military! I'm heading back, I need to lay down for a while."

Falling in beside her, Lindsay walked slowly back to the apartments with Stella. Finally she felt as if she should say something. Screwing up her courage she began quietly, "At home when we fell off a horse, my Daddy always told us that we had to get right back on. If you didn't you wouldn't want to ever ride again."

Stella paused before answering, her voice cracking slightly. "It's not that I never want to love again. I'm just not going to climb onto a guaranteed fall." Stella squeezed her friend's arm gently. "I just hope you remember that."

Csi Csi Csi

They had shown the young man the local sites after finding a more suitable lunch. Flack had convinced Bobbie that he needed to take in a little of the culture, so they had traveled to the Hai Chau communal house. Walking among the gardens surrounding the lake at the front of the temple, Bobbie played tourist by snapping photos with his Kodak.

After exhausting the photo ops, they stopped by the hotel and dropped off Bobbie's purchases. Bobbie reminded them that if they were going to the USO show they would want to leave soon.

"Easy there Cowboy, I think we'll get there in plenty of time." Danny teased. "Besides, I hear the girls in those shows can't fraternize with the audience. So if you think you're going to score a hot date by sitting in the front row, you better think again."

"No way Danny. I spoke with Adam over in Dobson's squad and he told me that the girls are free to go out with who ever they want. He was in and saw the show a couple of weeks ago and scored a date with a brunette who had legs that went all the way up."

Flack came out of the bathroom, zipping up. "I don't think either of you stand a chance with any of those girls. They are looking for officers so they can finish their degree."

"Degree?" Bobbie questioned.

"Yeah, their MRS." Flack smiled.

"Ha, ha. Funny." Bobbie ducked to comb his hair in the mirror. "Damn, is everyone short over here?"

"Cry me a river," Flack quipped as he moved to the door and looked down at Bobbie. "Try being over 6 foot. They look at me like a freak of nature."

"They got that right." Danny deadpanned.

"Screw you Messer." Flack opened the door. "You two coming?"

Csi Csi Csi

After returning to the apartments Stella had taken a nap and had awakened feeling a little better. She had spent the last year trying to put the relationship with Mac behind her and she was angry with herself for letting her emotions get away from her. It was the surprise of seeing him. If he hadn't been in the restaurant she wouldn't have given him a second thought.

Joining the other girls in preparing for the evening's performance, Stella tried to keep her mood light. Lindsay however noticed that the smile on Stella's face didn't quiet reach her eyes.

Csi Csi Csi

They weren't in the front row, but the seats on the hard bleachers were close enough to still see the show without squinting. The lights came up and the dancers took the stage for the opening number. The small jazz combo's tune accompanying the dancers was loud and up beat and soon the crowd was clapping along.

It was during this intro that each dancer stepped forward, removed the sequined top hat and introduced themselves and their home state. Each introduction was greeted with catcalls and whistles. A leggy auburn haired beauty had just stepped forward and called out 'Stella from New York'. As native New Yorkers, both Flack and Danny joined the loud applause, Danny placing his fingers in his mouth to give a loud whistle.

Next up was a petite brunette, "Lindsay from Montana".

Danny leaned over and yelled above the applause, "Montana, ain't that your home state Cowboy?" The look of shock on Bobbie's face caused Danny to inquire, "What's wrong Bobbie?"

"That's my little sister!"

Author's note: There you go! Great job those who saw that coming!


	6. Chapter 6

Author's notes: Busy weekend with District Speech Contest. My students had a great day and we are taking 10 to the State contest! Any way, several things. I can never remember the size of things like squads, companies, platoons, etc. so don't hold me too accountable for being spot on with who should command what. Second, remember I know that Dan Taylor was Army, for my story I've made him a Marine. I don't think he'll mind!

We are forecast to get 3-6" of snow tonight with some freezing rain, so maybe an extra day to write? Lucky for me Bookwrangler that no one at my school knows my dirty little secrete… "I write"!!!!

CSI CSI CSI

Danny looked at Bobbie in disbelief, "You're shitting me." He scanned Bobbie's face for a flicker of acknowledgement over what he perceived to be a joke. When he saw none he continued, "You're joking right?"

Shaking his head slowly, his eyes glued to the girl on the stage, Bobbie spoke. "Ain't no joke. That's my little sister, Lindsay Ann Monroe."

Looking back to the shapely brunette now dancing with the others, Danny stared. "Damn, your baby sister is fine!"

Frowning, Bobbie turned to Danny. "Watch it Messer. I don't want you bird-dogging my sister."

Holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture, Danny tried to look solemn; "I'd never do that to a buddy's sister. I'm just saying that I think that she's a good looking woman, in a friend of the family way."

Laughing, Flack broke in, "Keep digging Danny, that hole you're in ain't big enough to bury you yet."

"Funny. No, what I'm saying is," he trailed off. "How about you introduce us to your little sister. We take her out for a nice dinner and you two catch up about life back home in Wyoming."

"Montana!"

"Wyoming, Montana, wherever. What do you say?"

"Alright, but damn it Danny. I don't want you messing with my sister." Bobbie meant it.

"My word as a Marine." Danny smiled and went back to watching the girls, one in particular.

CSI CSI CSI

Mac had caught a lift to his new base. Dropping his duffel outside the CO's office he knocked and waited for the permission to enter. Going in he noticed that Captain Hammerback had aged terribly in the last several years. Saluting and then dropping it upon its acknowledgement, Mac waited for Hammerback to speak.

Instead Hammerback came from around the back of the desk and pulled Mac into a back slapping hug. "It's good to see you son." Pulling back, the Captain held Mac at arms length and looked him over. "Last time I saw you, you were playing football in high school."

Smiling Mac laughed lightly. "It's been a few years."

"It seems that after your father retired after his twenty we didn't get much of a chance to see each other. How are he and your mother doing?" The Captain moved back to his desk and opened a drawer. Pulling out a bottle and two glasses, he poured a healthy amount in each glass.

"Doing well. His business keeps him hoping, but Mother tries to make sure he takes care of himself. She has been after him to turn it over to Phillip and they could move to Florida."

"So Phillip got married last year, any children yet." Hammerback sipped at the scotch.

"No not yet, but if Mother has her way she'll have a dozen grandchildren before he's done." Mac lifted his glass. His younger brother hadn't had the pressure to follow in the footsteps of their father's military career whereas Mac had.

"I was surprised when you contacted me about requesting a transfer. I thought that being in Saigon was a real plum position, someplace where a young man like you could get himself noticed." Hammerback looked questioningly.

It was obvious that there had been no official word over what had happened. "Let's just say there was a difference of opinion between myself and a certain Major." Mac tossed back his drink.

"Fair enough." Hammerback could see Mac's reluctance to give up any additional information. "Well, let me tell you a little bit about your new job. Ironically you're replacing another Lieutenant Taylor; Dan Taylor was a hell of a Marine. Got wounded when the squad he was out with got hit hard. A bunch of his men won't be coming back either. I've got a couple of squads on R&R, so you'll be able to meet them tomorrow. I'll give you a couple of days to come up to speed."

Mac drained the last of the drink and set the empty glass on the desk, "I better go and get settled." He stood and held out his hand to Hammerback, "Thank you Sir for the opportunity to come out here and serve with you."

The Captain stood also and returned the handshake, "If you're half the Marine your father was then you'll do us proud. The corporal can show you to your tent."

Saluting, Mac turned and left. Locating the corporal he was then lead to a tent that was to be his new home. A stack of items left by the previous occupant waited by the door for someone to collect. Tossing down his duffle, Mac lay down on the bare cot and closed his eyes for a momentary rest. The scene in Da Nang played out again in his mind. What had been the hardest to take was Stella's eyes; cold, angry and devoid of love. He turned over and waited for sleep to take him.

CSI CSI CSI

The show had ended and the throng of young men waiting by the stage for an opportunity for a picture and the chance to speak to the performers. Pushing their way towards the front, Flack trailed Bobbie and Danny. Bobbie was oblivious to the comments and looks of the other soldiers as he moved forward.

The girls had just come out when Bobbie made it to the front. "Lindsay!" He yelled as his sister exited from the stage door. "Lindsay Monroe!"

Lindsay turned toward the sound of her name, scanning the crowd her eyes landed on a smiling face. "Bobbie!" She ran to him and threw her arms around him. "What are you doing here!"?

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here? You are supposed to be back in Montana going to college. Do Mom and Dad know you're here?" Bobbie fired the questions at Lindsay.

"Well, I," Lindsay was flustered.

"Hey, Lindsay is he bothering you?" Stella walked over to her.

"Stella, this is my big brother Bobbie." Lindsay said proudly. "I can't believe it! I haven't seen you in almost two years!"

"I think we should continue this heartfelt reunion over a few drinks."

"Oh, hey Lindsay, this is Danny and Flack." Bobbie turned to his friends.

"Nice to meet you." Lindsay nodded to each in turn.

"Thanks Miss Monroe, I was sure impressed with your dancing talents." Danny reached out his hand. "Bobbie didn't tell us that his sister was talented as well as beautiful."

"Well, thank you," Lindsay struggled for the name.

"Sergeant Danny Messer at your service."

"Danny," Bobbie warned. "He's right though. How about we all go out for a few drinks." Thinking about his friends, he quickly added, "If you've got a couple of friends, maybe they'd like to go with us. You know to kind of round out the group."

"I guess so. Stella," Lindsay turned towards her friend who had been listening to the interaction. "Would you like to go with us?"

"I don't know Lindsay. It's been a long day." Stella hesitated.

"We'd be honored if you joined us miss, if you're free tonight."

Looking at the tall, dark haired man Stella frowned slightly. "I'm sure you would be, but don't you think it's presumptuous for you to assume we don't already have plans?"

"I'm sorry Miss Stella, please let it be said that a Marine is nothing but courteous. If you and Miss Monroe are otherwise unengaged, we would like to take you out for dinner." Flack smiled his most charming smile at her.

"Please Stella. I think Gwen is free tonight. We could all go out and have a real night on the town." Lindsay's eyes were pleading.

Stella sighed inside; she hated to leave Lindsay in a lurch. "I think that sounds delightful." She gave a steely smile towards Flack. "You gentlemen may pick us up at 6:30."

Danny smiled, "Oh we're not gentlemen, we are Marines."

Still smiling tightly Stella turned and waited patiently for Lindsay to finish making arrangements with her brother. 'Marines. Yes, that's what worries me', she whispered to herself.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's notes: Late start only! At least I got to sleep in an extra 40 minutes! Here is the next chapter and since I have the story all blocked out I can tell you that this will be a longer story. A mix of adventure and love is headed your way!

CSI CSI CSI CSI

Silently Lindsay and Stella made their way back to the dorm like apartments for the USO performers. Lindsay snuck looks at her companion to see if she could read Stella's mood. Finally, she could take the quiet no longer, "Stella. I'm really sorry if I put you on the spot. You don't have to go to supper with us if you don't want to. I can probably find another girl."

Heaving a deep sigh, Stella shook her head. "No, it's alright Lindsay. I guess I'm just smarting a little from seeing Mac today." Turning and putting on her best smile she reassured Lindsay. "Besides this might be just what I needed, to get out and kick up my heels a little."

As they were getting ready to go to their rooms a petite girl with flaming red hair came out of her room. Lindsay smiled, "Gwen, do you have any plans for tonight?"

The girl shook her head, "Nope, didn't hang around long enough to secure a date. Didn't seem to be worth the hassle tonight."

"Want to go with Stella and me? My brother and two of his friends were at the show and asked us and another friend out for dinner tonight."

"I didn't know you had a brother in country. Sure, I'd love to go. I don't want to be the only one hanging around the barracks tonight." Gwen jokingly referred to the apartments.

"Great," Lindsay replied. "They are picking us up at 6:30, alright?"

"Sounds divine, what are you wearing?"

The three quickly planned their outfits and hurried to their rooms to dress. It was 6:20 when Lindsay came into Stella's room. "How do I look?"

She was wearing a simple dress that accentuated her natural beauty. Lindsay didn't feel comfortable dressing like many of the other girls did. Growing up on the ranch, she had spent most of her time in denim and boots not silk and heels.

Stella turned and appraised her friend's appearance. "You look wonderful Linds. I'm sure that a certain Marine is going to have a hard time keeping his eyes off of you."

Blushing slightly, Lindsay looked through her small purse to make sure she had all of her essentials. "He was just being fresh. He probably hasn't seen a woman in so long that even my grandma would look good."

"Mmmm, say what you will, but I predict he'll find some way to spend a little extra time with you tonight." Stella pursed her lips and applied her lipstick.

"Don't forget there will be two other very attractive men with us tonight. I give you my permission to ogle my little brother all you want."

"I'd feel like I was robbing the cradle. Gwen is your age; I think we better plan on Bobbie and her sitting near each other. The other guy and I can play chaperone." Stella stood and smoothed any wrinkles from the cotton dress she had on. "Well, lets go watch for the boys."

CSI CSI CSI CSI

Twenty minutes later the group was making their way towards the entertainment district. Squeezing into a taxi, they spent the ride getting to know each other. As the fourth largest city in South Vietnam, Da Nang was a key air and seaport. It was also a popular choice for R&R, the beach being known to the Americans as China Beach.

Finding a restaurant was not difficult and soon the group was seated around a large table. Food was brought and placed upon a lazy-susan in the center, allowing them to rotate the dishes around to all.

As Stella had predicted, Danny made sure that he was seated close to Lindsay; his New York accent becoming more pronounced as he drank the local beer. Bobbie on the other hand was sitting close to the vivacious Gwen; her animated chatter giving him little opportunity to reply. This left Stella sitting next to the tall, quiet Sergeant. She had to admit he was very handsome and had been nothing less than the perfect gentleman. With the other two couples in private conversations, this left the two sitting quietly.

"So Miss Bonasera, what brings a nice girl from Queens to Vietnam?" The woman intrigued Flack and he had felt that she was hiding behind her frosty façade. Always up for a challenge, he had decided that he would turn on the subtle charm and try to draw her out.

Cocking her head slightly, Stella looked at him disbelievingly. "Is that a line?"

"No. I really want to know. It seems to me that someone as talented as you would be working on Broadway."

"Ahh, flattery will get you no where Sergeant Flack."

"Don, please."

"Only if you drop the Miss Bonasera. It's Stella." Stella found that she was having a hard time not looking into his deep blue eyes.

"So Stella, why Vietnam?"

Smiling and shaking her head she realized that she might as well play the game. After all, it wasn't like she was going to fall of a smooth talker.

CSI CSI CSI CSI

The couples left the restaurant, everyone laughing and talking as they walked along the brightly lighted streets. "Where to next?" Danny shouted as he held onto Lindsay's hand and pulled her a little closer.

"You know what I want to do?" Bobbie's arm was draped around Gwen's shoulder and she had snuggled in tightly. "I want to get inked."

Lindsay spoke up quickly, "Don't do that Bobbie. Why would you want to have that on you for the rest of your life? Besides, Mom would faint!"

"Come on Sis. Uncle Ted has that hula girl on his bicep and remember how funny it would be at Christmas when he would roll up his shirt sleeve and make her dance." He looked at his sister and the stony look on her face. "Come on guys, back me up here."

"Sorry Lindsay, but I've got to agree with Cowboy here. Getting a little souvenir is tradition." Danny stopped walking. "See," he rolled up his shirt. "I've got one, hell even my Alter Boy friend Flack has a tattoo."

Lindsay turned an looked a Flack, "You too?"

He nodded, following suit by exposing his arm. "Semper Fi, always faithful."

Stella who was standing close to him tensed slightly, the Marine motto jabbing her memory as she again allowed Mac's betrayal to torment her. Closing her eyes briefly, she opened them to see a concerned Flack watching her. The questioning look in his eyes demanded an answer; one she wasn't ready to give. "It's nothing." She muttered and looked away.

Lindsay returned her gaze to Danny and his arm, "What does this symbol mean?"

"It's Vietnamese for honor." He rotated it so that she could see it better.

Snorting lightly, Lindsay looked teasingly at Danny. "How do you know it doesn't really mean Son-of-a-Bitch?"

"What?" Danny was puzzled.

"How do you know it says honor? They might have put on something that means "you're full of crap" and you wouldn't know the difference."

"Well, I guess I trust the guy that did it." Danny felt a little defensive.

"Why do you trust him? Was he a close and personal friend?"

"No. He ran the shop."

"So you're willing to trust someone whose land has been over run with soldiers from three different countries, who are all claiming to help him and you think he's going to deal straight with you. We've done nothing to actually help these people. Everything we've done has hurt them more than the damn communist would have."

"Whoa there girl." Danny jumped in. "You've got to remember that we're the good guys; white hats and cavalry. They've got to help themselves too."

Lindsay readied herself to continue the discussion when Bobbie broke back in. "Hey, can it you two. It doesn't really matter, cause we are here right now and that isn't going to change. But right now, I want to get myself a tattoo. So Danny, which way?"

Danny and Lindsay looked at one another and as if by agreement they both put the difference of opinion behind them. "I think if we go a block or two further down there's a place that does tattoos."

"Alright then, lets go." Bobbie and Gwen turned and led the group towards the tattoo parlor.

The streets were lined with American G.I.'s and the light mood quickly returned. They were walking past a storefront when without warning an explosion rocked the building. In an instant the crowded street resembled a battle zone as the cries of the injured mingled with the dust and smoke.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's notes: I hope I didn't make you wait to long. I know that I hate a cliff hanger that keeps me guessing. Anyway, here you go. Remember, feed the review kitty!

CSI CSI CSI

The force of the explosion drove Flack into the ground. Momentarily he was stunned as his senses tried to recover from the battering they had taken. Blinking to clear his eyes from the dust and tiny debris still falling like snow, he looked around.

The cityscape had been altered, the front of one store had been completely destroyed and others had been severely damaged; flames licked at the shattered remains. In the distance the wailing of the emergency vehicles indicated that help was at least on its way.

Climbing to his feet, Flack saw that Stella, who had been next to him, was now trying to stand. Reaching down he held out a hand and aided her into a standing position. "Are you all right?" He asked.

"Define alright." Stella answered; her voice was shaky. Her fingers made their way to her scalp line where a small cut bled freely.

Pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket, he pressed it tightly against the wound and covered it with her own fingers. "Keep pressure on it. Don't worry. Head wounds bleed like crazy. Just stay here while I check on the others.

Stella nodded, still feeling dazed from what had occurred. She watched as Flack made his way over to another of the couples.

By the time Flack reached them, Danny had already assisted Lindsay into an upright position. Her shapely tan legs were scratched and bleeding. The clothing of both was covered in a fine layer of dust and Danny was coughing; turning his head, he spit to clear his airway.

Seeing Flack, Lindsay glanced around for her brother. Not immediately seeing him, she gripped Danny's arm, her voice panicked. "Where's Bobbie?"

Exchanging a glance with Flack, both men looked solemnly towards the piles of debris that marked the location of the store that had exploded. Flack turned and with Danny at his heels, they quickly moved to the area where Bobbie and Gwen had once stood.

"Bobbie!" Flack bellowed hoarsely, as he began heaving wooden boards off one of the piles. "Bobbie! Can you hear me!"

Danny attacked a second pile and within moments hollered to Flack, "Don! I've got something here!"

Long legs stretching across the scattered remains of the building, Flack grabbed a splintered board. Soon they uncovered the form of Gwen, the chatty redhead. Her stillness told the story as Danny reached down to feel for a pulse. Finding none, he shook his head and moved to another pile and resumed digging.

This time it was Flack that shouted as he lifted the crumpled sheet of galvanized tin that had covered part of the roof. "Bobbie!" his voice loud and commanding. The young man remained silent. Fearing the worst, Flack felt for the heartbeat and was relieved to find it strong beneath his fingertips. "Danny. Help me with this board!"

A large beam had landed across the Marine's legs and was pinning him in place. Shoveling the broken building off the larger piece, both men were dismayed to see the odd position of Bobbie's lower legs.

Stella and Lindsay had made their way to where the two men were working to free their friend. Stella wrapped her arms around Lindsay and spoke to calm her. Danny looked up and smiled, "He's doing ok Lindsay. We'll have him free real soon here. You can help us by going and letting someone know we've got an American G.I. over here."

Lindsay nodded and picked her way into the street. Stella moved to the two men and bend down and began pitching the smaller pieces off. Looking up she noticed more people moving about, the high-pitched voices of the Vietnamese sounded around as others started rescue attempts of their own.

During their efforts, the young man had regained consciousness. Danny and Flack spoke reassuringly to him, however his injuries caused him to gasp out in pain. They continued until they had Bobbie free. Both men looked at the mangled legs and knew that time was of the essence.

Finally a vehicle pulled up, hurrying across the rubble two attendants with a stretcher stopped and spoke rapidly. Flack looked at them and growled, "Ông ta cần đi đến bệnh viện bây giờ!"

The men looked unsure. Flack spoke again, motioning to Bobbie and then to their vehicle, "Người lính Mỹ. Đi bây giờ." . Both then nodded slowly and sat down the stretcher to load Bobbie on.

With Flack and Danny helping they loaded Bobbie into the vehicle and at Flack's insistence Danny and Lindsay hopped in to ride along. "We'll be there as soon as we can." Flack told Danny just before they pulled away.

Watching the vehicle make it's way down the street, Flack looked for where Stella had gone. He could see her standing over by the spot where Gwen's body was. Moving over to her, Flack laid a hand gently on her shoulder. He didn't say a word as Stella looked down on the young redhead.

Removing his hand, he bent down and began to remove more of the debris from her body. After a minute Stella joined him, the tears leaving tracks down her grimy face.

CSI CSI CSI

Danny and Lindsay were sitting in the hallway of the base hospital. Once Bobbie had been wheeled into an operating room, they had been waiting quietly. Looking over, Danny took Lindsay's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, he'll be fine."

She shook her head, "His legs looked so bad. I don't know what he would do if something happened to them."

They sat there quietly until Flack and Stella joined them. "Any word yet?" Flack asked as he sat down wearily in one of the chairs after Stella had sat down on the adjoining chair.

"Not yet. Did you get everything taken care of?" Danny asked.

"Yes. We gave statements and made sure that Gwen was taken care of." Flack said quietly.

Again, everyone lapsed into silence as they waited. Stella had started nodding off, her head drooping and finally finding its way against Flack's arm. He glanced down and watched her breathing even out. There was something so relaxing about watching her; he shifted slightly so that it was now on his shoulder.

It was almost forty-five minutes later when a door at the end of the hall opened and a doctor exited and headed towards the group. The expression of the doctor that approached the group was unreadable. Flack shook Stella lightly to awaken her. She looked slightly bleary eyed and confused, but then as she took in the scene she remembered.

Lindsay stood and looked anxiously at him. "Will he be alright?"

Nodding slightly, the doctor spoke. "We had to work quiet a bit, but barring any infection he should be able to keep both of his legs. Both were badly broken, including a compound fracture of the right femur."

"Can I see him?"

"He's heavily sedated, but they are moving him from recovery out to the ward. If you wait another 15 minutes or so, you'll be able to see him. He won't be awake for hours yet."

"I'll wait." Turning to the others she looked relieved. "Thank you so much for waiting with me. I'm going to stay until I can see Bobbie, you can go ahead and go, I'll head back to the dorms afterwards. I'll be fine."

Danny spoke up quickly. "Bobbie's a good friend. I wouldn't feel right leaving you alone. Flack can walk Stella back and when you're ready I'll escort you back."

Lindsay looked at Stella. "Go ahead Stella. I'll be fine." She gave her friend a hug. "Thanks Stella."

"Wake me up tonight if you need me, alright?" Stella gave her friend another hug and turned to Flack. "We're on base, you don't need to walk me back."

"I know I don't need to, but I will anyway." Flack motioned towards the door. "I'll see you back at the hotel Danny."

CSI CSI CSI

The base was relatively quiet as they made their way towards the USO dorm. As they walked Flack tried to think of something to say, but found that his characteristic wit had escaped him. Thinking again he decided that silence was probably his best bet.

They reached the building and both stood momentarily looking at each other. Clearing his throat, Flack spoke. "Are you going to be alright?"

She nodded, "Yes, thank you."

"I'm sorry about your friend."

"I have to admit I didn't know Gwen as well as I should. I feel like I should have gotten to know her better because now I'll never have the chance." Stella looked down.

"It's the same way out in the field. The FNG's come in and a few days later they're heading home in a body bag." Flack's voice was slightly bitter.

"FNG?" Stella looked up questioningly.

"Sorry, the f'ing new guys. We call them that. Sometimes it's easier to call them that then to learn their names. Makes it a little easier to handle when they don't make it back."

"It must be rough," she hesitated slightly. "I mean loosing friends like that."

"A person tries not to make too many friends. You get just a couple so that someone watches your back and you watch theirs." Sensing that Stella was growing uncomfortable with the topic, he attempted to lighten it slightly. "I want to thank you for going along tonight, I enjoyed getting to know you. I was wondering if I could go out with you again if I ever get back here."

Stella froze slightly; the idea of making any kind of commitment to a man was more than she could handle right now. Even though she was finding herself drawn to the handsome Marine, she shook her head. "I don't like to make plans that far out. Lets just leave at that."

Feeling the sting of rejection, Flack's face became icy, "Fine by me. Miss Bonasera, it was a pleasure. Good night." He turned and walked away quickly.

Stella let herself in and then let the tears flow freely. Walking slowly to her room, she collapsed onto the bed and let her grief wrap around her like a heavy quilt.

CSI CSI CSI

They had seen Bobbie for only a few minutes before a nurse moved a screen to cut him off from the soldier in the next bed and told them that they needed to leave.

Walking out into the night, Lindsay breathed a big sigh of relief. "I don't know what I would have told Mom and Dad if something would have happened to him. I joined the USO because I wanted to do something to show him my support. You know he wasn't drafted he joined. Soon as he turned 18 he went in and signed up. He had a real high draft number but he said that it was up to America to help Vietnam." Her voice turned bitter. "Now they've killed Gwen and crippled Bobbie. I've changed my mind Danny; I don't care anymore. They can just keep killing each other until no one is left, but leave us out of it."

" Lindsay, it's been a rough day," Danny began, not wanting Lindsay to say things that he felt she didn't really mean. "I want you to know that I think you really showed a lot of strength tonight. It's hard seeing someone you care for hurt, even harder when it's a brother. Bobbie is going to be just fine and he's going to need your support and a positive outlook. I hope you can give that to him. Looks like this is your stop." Danny quipped as they came to the door.

"Thanks Danny." Lindsay leaned in and gave him a quick hug. "I really appreciate your support tonight." She turned to go in and then stopped. "I hope I get the chance to see you again. Goodnight." Going in, she closed the door and headed to her room.

Danny smiled slightly, it had been a tough night, but things happen for a reason. Turning, he headed back to the hotel.

Author's note: What Flack said was basically; get him to a hospital now!


	9. Chapter 9

Author's note: Thanks again for the reviews. I really appreciate knowing if you like what you are reading. I know I'm having fun with them, even if I do sometimes hurt the ones we love! Luck is on your side however, no school today because of freezing rain, blowing snow and bad roads! This means more writing time!

CSI CSI CSI

Lindsay woke early the next morning and quickly showered. Leaving her room she stopped at Stella's door and knocked lightly. A muffle reply followed and Lindsay opened the door and entered. Stella was at the small sink washing her face.

"I'm going over to the hospital to see if Bobbie is awake yet. I wanted to," Lindsay trailed off as Stella turned around. Seeing her friend's puffy red eyes, Lindsay was concerned. "Stella, what's wrong."

Sitting down on the small bed, Stella's voice was thick with emotion. "I guess it's just a combination of everything that happened yesterday. Seeing Mac, the explosion, Don wanting to go out again, I just feel like I don't know what to do. The worst part, I'm sitting here crying to you and it should be the other way around. I'm so sorry Lindsay." Stella wiped at her eyes.

"It's alright Stella. You've been there for me so many times, I don't mind letting you lean on me a little."

"Thanks Lindsay."

Hugging her friend she smoothed Stella's tangled mass of hair. "So Don wanted to see you again? That's a good thing isn't it?"

Stella shook her head. "I can't see him again."

"Why not?" Lindsay was perplexed. "I thought he seemed like a real nice guy; polite, well mannered and cute. We were having such a good time until." She trailed off.

"Those are plenty of reasons not to see him. Guys like that are too good to be true and when they are done playing they're gone. Leaving you behind to pick up the pieces."

"He didn't seem like the type to do something like that." Lindsay spoke up.

"They never do seem the type, that's the problem. Mac was the same way."

"So this isn't about Don, it's about Mac." Lindsay spoke firmly to her friend knowing that Stella needed to hear the truth. "Don't you think you owe it to yourself to trust again? You can't go through life being afraid. At least that's what you would tell me."

Stella sat silently, taking in Lindsay's words.

Lindsay unsure what else to say spoke quietly, "I'm going to the hospital, but I'll be back before the show."

"Tell Bobbie I'll be thinking about him."

Lindsay stood and went to the door. "I'll see you later."

"Bye." Stella lay back onto the bed and pulled a pillow over her head.

CSI CSI CSI

"That was so fucked up last night." Danny was packing his bag. "You know if something like that ever happens to me, I want you to let me die. I wouldn't want to go home with less parts than I started with."

"Bullshit Messer." Flack came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his narrow waist. "A man is still a man regardless. You can be just as much of a man with one leg as two." He dropped the towel on the floor and slid his underwear. Sitting on the bed he slid his pants up. "If I get hit, do what ever you can to save my life, cause I got things I want to do and dying in country isn't on the list."

"Still, I want every part I need; especially if I got to spend more time with Lindsay. She is a fine looking woman."

"You better not let Bobbie hear you talking like that or he'll kick your ass."

"Well, we'll see about that. So how did you get along walking Stella back?"

"It was alright." Flack didn't want to let Bobbie know that Stella had turned him down cold. "She was nice."

"Nice?" Danny hooted. "Nice is a word you use to describe your fat cousin when you are trying to find her a date! My opinion? She got the type of body that would."

"Danny, enough." Flack interrupted. "I really don't want to think about her. Come on, if we are going to swing by the hospital before we catch a lift we better shag ass."

"Easy there big guy." Danny lifted his duffle bag and grabbed Bobbie's bag as well. "I think you're smitten with Miss Bonasera." Danny teased.

Flack shot him a look and grabbed his duffel, and opened the door. "I think you need to shut the hell up and let's go."

CSI CSI CSI

Lindsay was sitting on a wooden folding chair next to Bobbie's gurney. He was sleeping lightly, having awoken briefly when she had arrived. A military hospital was a real departure from the civilian ones she had been in before. There were no private rooms that she could see; all the patients shared a large wardroom. When privacy was needed a screen could be moved around the gurney. There were quiet a few others in this room, bandaged men were everywhere and the sounds of men in varying degrees of pain and discomfort were evident.

"How's he doing?"

Turning slightly in her chair, Lindsay was greeted by Danny and Flack standing by the foot of the bed. "He was awake earlier. But they've given him another shot of morphine for the pain, so the nurse said he would sleep for a while. He might be awake in a couple of hours if you want to wait or come back."

"We would like to but we've got to go hook up with our ride back to base." Flack moved to the other side of the bed and took a hold of Bobbie's hand. "Hey, you do what the pretty nurses tell you and get better real soon ok. I don't know how long I can put up with Danny's mouth without you around to deal with him. We'll see you later bro."

When he had finished, Danny took his place. "Flack's full of crap man, but get-well quick all right? I'll try to get back in and see you as soon as I can." Setting the man's hand back onto the covers of the bed Danny smiled at Lindsay. "We brought Bobbie's duffel from the hotel would you like me to carry it over to your apartment for you?"

"I don't want to leave Bobbie in case he wakes up sooner."

"Flack can sit with him, can't you buddy?" Danny emphasized the last part to make sure Flack understood his tone.

"No problem Lindsay." Flack smiled knowingly at Danny and held out his hand to Lindsay.

Taking it she stood and followed Danny out of the ward. "I don't know how long Bobbie will be here. The doctor who was here this morning said that he thought they would be sending Bobbie home, something about rehabilitation for his legs. There is still a real risk of infection setting in, but they felt confident that they would be able to catch anything in time."

"That sounds great. Did he say anything about how soon it they might move him?" Danny switched the duffel to his other hand.

"He didn't say. So you mentioned that you might come back to visit Bobbie, do you know when that might be?" Lindsay tried to be nonchalant with her question.

Smiling to himself, Danny thought 'Messer charm never fails.' "I'm not to sure, it will depend a lot on what type of patrols we get sent out on. Sometimes we are out for a few days and other times it can be a week or more."

"Oh."

"I was wondering though, if it would be alright if I wrote you? I would really like to get to know you a little bit better. That way I can also keep in touch with Bobbie too."

Blushing slightly Lindsay nodded. "That would be fine. I'd like that."

"Good." They stopped in front of the dorm and Lindsay ran the bag inside. Stella's door was shut and Lindsay didn't disturb her. Once back outside she and Danny chatted all the way back to the hospital.

"How's he doing Flack?" Danny asked as they returned to the ward.

"Hasn't moved, they must have given him the good stuff." He stood to give Lindsay back the chair. "Ready to go?"

"Sure. Lindsay, if you need anything you have my unit number. Have them contact me and I'll do what I can."

"Thanks to both of you. Bobbie is lucky to have such friends." She smiled at them both and gave Flack a fast hug and Danny a peck on the check with his hug.

As they turned to leave, Flack paused. "Hey Lindsay, when you see Stella, would you give her a message for me?"

"Sure Don." Lindsay replied.

"Tell her I had a great time and" he didn't know what else to say. "Anyway, tell her thanks." He turned and started towards the door.

"Bye Lindsay." Danny leaned in and gave her a quick kiss and smiled. "I hope to see you soon."

"Sounds wonderful. Stay safe Danny."

"Always!" He smiled again and turned to follow his friend back to the airfield.

Sitting back in her chair, Lindsay felt the warmth in her checks and the racing of her heart. 'Stella, for once I hope you're wrong about men."

CSI CSI CSI

Hours later, Flack and Danny had arrived back to their base and were trotting head down away from the copter they had just exited when a private meet them.

Shouting to be heard over the sounds of various aircraft, the private informed them that they were both to report to their new Lieutenant's tent.

Turning to Flack, Danny muttered. "Didn't take long for them to replace Lt. Dan."

"It's war Danny. We are all replaceable. Besides, chances are we'll be holding his hand out there."

Arriving at the tent, Flack knocked on the door. "Sergeants Flack and Messer reporting Sir."

"Come in."

Ducking slightly Flack and Danny entered and saluted.

"At ease gentlemen." Mac looked at the two as if appraising their worth. "I'm Lieutenant Mac Taylor and before you ask, no I'm not related to Lt. Dan Taylor. I wanted to meet with all my men and since you were on R&R I didn't get the chance to talk with you two." Mac turned and picked up two sheets of paper. "I spoke with Captain Hammerback and we've done a little rearranging. Messer you're getting bumped up and you're going to take over Moran's squad. Here is a list of the replacements for each of your squads. They came in yesterday. Get them up to speed and plan on heading out day after tomorrow."

"Yes Sir." Both men replied.

"Also, I want to let you know that this isn't my first tour, I'm not some shake-n-bake who doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground. I also don't like mistakes. Both of you know damn well that a fuck-up in the field ends up with a Marine going home in a body bag and a mama getting a flag. Watch out for those newbies. Dismissed."

Saluting and turning, both men left the tent. Flack waited until they were several yards away. "Congratulations Danny, I knew you wouldn't stay at E-5 long."

"Yeah, well I wasn't going to let you outrank me forever."

"What do you say we go check out the FNG's and then I'll buy you a drink to celebrate?"

"I'd say that was the best idea you've had all day."

CSI CSI CSI

Mac returned to his desk and picked up the sheet of paper. He had started a letter to Stella six times and five of those attempts were now lining the wastepaper basket. Looking at the words he had written he crushed the paper in his hand and added it to the others. Pulling out a new sheet he began again, searching for the words that would make her understand.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's notes: Sorry for the delay in getting this in. Between State Speech and other family stuff going on, it's been a busy week.

CSI CSI CSI

They were packing their equipment; both Danny and Flack's squads were going out on patrol and it looked like they would be in the boonies for a week or more. As soon as he had his equipment packed, Danny went to check on his newest team members.

"Pete, you got to roll this tighter. If you don't you ain't going to get as much in that pack." Danny commented; four of his new men were fresh out of boot camp. Moving along he looked at the young man that was taking over as a medic. "Got plenty of bandages there Hawkes?"

A slim, African-American man looked up from the pack he was organizing. "Sure thing Sarge. I've got enough that I could potentially treat the whole company."

"Lets hope that we don't have to worry bout that. You itching to play doc there?" Danny peered over his glasses, the thick black rims giving him a slightly bookish appearance.

"No sir, I'd rather be handing out aspirins for hangovers than bandaging bullet holes." Hawkes smiled and shook his head.

"Be careful who you're calling sir. Didn't your D.I. explain anything when you were on the Island?" Danny spoke gruffly, not really angry but feeling like he needed to make a point with this green Marine.

"Sorry Sarge, I guess I'm used to showing respect to my superiors. It won't happen again."

Danny dropped down and regarded the young man. "What's your story Hawkes? You sure ain't like most of the other guys we get out here. Now don't get me wrong, everyone from Smith to Rodriquez is a good guy. I've trusted them with my life every time we go into the field and they haven't let me down yet. But most of them don't seem to be as," he trailed off slightly. "I don't know, they're not like you."

Hawkes bristled slightly at this. "What? I don't talk like I'm from the ghetto or some hick just off the cotton farm."

"Well, yeah." Danny replied. "You remind me more of a teacher than a combat Marine."

Considering Danny's words, Hawkes realized what the man was trying to say and knew that anger was out of place. "I was going to college and majoring in pre-med when I decided to enlist. Eventually I'll go back and finish."

"Pre-med huh." Danny looked thoughtful. "So Doc, what made ya decide to do your practicing over here? Last I heard ain't no one shooting at you in college."

"I started thinking about how so many young men, especially the brothers were dying over here and I realized I needed to do my part."

"Alright, I can understand that. But I'd think that you'd be wearing something more than just that private's stripe, especially after having some college."

"Well Sergeant Messer, the Marine Corp is still a white man's territory when it comes to command positions. But don't worry, I figure by the time I'm done I should be running the show." He smiled widely.

Laughing Danny slapped him on the back. "I'm sure you will Doc, I'm sure you will. Enjoy sleeping in a bed tonight, no telling when we'll get that chance again."

"Hey Messer, come on we've got to get over to the Lieutenant's tent and get our marching orders." Flack walked up to the two men.

"Alright. See ya later Doc." Danny turned and followed Flack towards the tent.

"Doc?" Flack questioned.

"New guy was in med school. He's trained as a medic. It's our lucky day." Danny quipped.

"Let's hope we don't need that type of luck."

CSI CSI CSI

Early the next morning before the break of day, the two squads assembled at the strip of hardened ground that served as a landing pad. The helicopters sat waiting for the men that would soon fill their holds.

The men, having been briefed by Flack and Danny about their objective the night before, split up and quickly took their places in the birds. Making sure that each of their squads was complete; the two Sergeants spoke quickly to one another.

"See at the LZ." Danny shouted as the blades of the copters began their slow warm-up. He ducked and pushed his glasses further up his nose.

"You're first in, so make sure you're covering my ass." Flack deadpanned as he turned and climbed about the Huey.

"Speaking of ass, about time you got your ass on. We want to drop you grunts and be back in time for breakfast. I don't like my eggs cold." The complaining voice greeted Flack as he climbed aboard.

"Damn it Stokes, why in the hell do I always wind up with you?" Flack shot back good-naturedly. "I'm beginning to think you like me or something."

"What and make Messer cry? I'd hate to break the two of you up, you're such a cute couple." Stokes moved into his position and attached his safety harness.

"What can I say, he keeps me warm on these cold nights." Flack quipped. "Maybe we can just make it a three-way? But I warn you, once you've had me you won't go back to sheep."

"Remember that when you want us to haul your ass out of some hot spot. I might forget to pick you back up." The lanky Texan turned back to the darkness outside his open side door.

The interior was dark and not a hint sunrise showed on the horizon. Flack closed his eyes and let his mind wander as they flew towards the LZ. The two squads were being sent out on patrol. The plan would be for them to move into the area south west of Da Nang; an area called the An Hoa Basin. It had been a hard year for the Marines in this area. The number KIA were staggering and squads were constantly being rotated in to receive replacements and then sent back into the fields. This time the goal would be to look for a reported North Vietnamese stronghold. This area was a combination of mountains, ridgelines and flats dotted with rice paddies. The Viet-Cong had been busily forcing villagers to side with them. Those that did not had either fled to closer to Da Nang or had been killed.

They would be dropped just as dawn was breaking, they would be dropped in a clearing that recon had claimed was fee of Charlie and would begin working their way to the closest village. It would then be a matter of searching for the enemy or for evidence of their supply lines.

Flack could feel the helicopter start to drop altitude and he opened his eyes. A smudge of pink was visible in the eastern sky and the darkness was starting to lighten. A glance at his watch showed that they had been in the air for over 30 minutes.

Danny's squad would set down first and lay down cover if needed while the two copters holding Flack's squad would come in. Suddenly, the sky seemed to burst into dawn as the sun's rays broke over the land.

Not more than five minutes later they were skimming the ground and touching down. Marines quickly scrambled from the metal bird and made for the sparse cover at the edge of the field. Glancing back, Flack watched as the Huey shot skyward.

There had been no resistance to the arrival of the Americans. Danny and Flack pulled out their map and after a fast check of the compass began the slow and tedious process of humping their way towards a small village.

The men kept the chatter to a minimum as they moved carefully through the deep grass, the men on point watching for possible booby-traps. Charlie was innovative; using everything from sharpened sticks to bombs to stop the Americans.

The sun moved higher in the sky and as Flack paused to wipe the sweat from underneath his steel helmet. It was times like this that he missed the cold winters of New York. 'Oh, well. He told himself. Only 10 more days until they could be picked up and returned.

CSI CSI CSI

A letter had arrived for her. Without even reading the return address she recognized the handwriting. She had sat it on her dresser and it was still there after three days. Stella couldn't bring herself to open it. She was sure that she knew what Mac would have written and she couldn't bring herself to read it. Sitting at her vanity, she brushed her hair vigorously.

Lindsay had gone over to the hospital early. Today Bobbie was being shipped out to Germany where he would continue to recuperate. Stella knew that it was going to be hard for her friend, but it was the best thing for the wounded young man. It hadn't been mentioned, but Stella was sure that the young man's military career was over.

A knock on the door to her room brought Stella out of her thoughts. 'Too early for Lindsay; they couldn't have moved Bobbie that quick.' "Come in." She called over her shoulder, knowing that it would be another girl from the show.

"Morning Stella!" Brenda, one of the other dancers crossed the threshold into Stella's room. "I just spoke to Thomas in the band. They are flying us out special to perform at one of the bigger firebases. According to him the soldiers there can't get R & R long enough to come in and the command wants to help lower the tension a little. So long story short, we're going to fly in for one show and then fly back out."

"So when are we going?" Stella inquired.

"Sounds like we'll fly out first thing the day after tomorrow." Brenda pulled her dark hair up and off of her neck. "Wow, it's already miserable today. I never thought I would say that I missed Iowa, but I think about all of the cold days that I complained about and I wish that I had that cold right now."

Stella smiled, "I know what you mean. When I think about the fall days that are such a perfect temperature and then I realize that this country only seems to have two seasons; wet and wet and hot."

Laughing Brenda walked out the door. "Could you let Lindsay know when you see her?"

"Sure. I'll see her later this afternoon."

CSI CSI CSI

Mac had just come back from a one-day patrol into one of the local villages. They continued with local patrols so that the VC wouldn't try to reestablish connections and infiltrate back in close to the firebase.

Dumping his gear in his tent, he crossed the compound and made his way to Captain Hammerback's tent. Not bothering to smoothing his wrinkled and mud flecked uniform; he knocked on the door and entered upon hearing the command to do so.

"Sir."

"At ease. So how did patrol go today?"

"No sign of VC. I'm sending two squads out tomorrow. I've already got four in the field and they will be out for seven more."

"Recon seems to think that we are going to see some increased movement. Ho Chi Minh is trying to sneak the whole damn NVA past us. After the year we had, I had hoped that 1968 was going to be better."

"I don't think there will ever be a good year until we can level the playing field. When the squads radio check I'll let them know to start looking for the build up. Any thing else sir?"

"No, dismissed Mac."

"Sir." Mac walked back to his tent and pulled out paper and a pen. He hadn't heard anything from Stella yet, so he decided he would write another letter. Eventually she would have to respond.

CSI CSI CSI

It had been another night of digging in and waiting. The first thing they would do when arriving at the spot they were staying was to dig foxholes. The entrenching tool each man carried was almost as important as their weapon. Eating cold c-rats so that the smoke or smell of a fire wouldn't alert Charlie to their presence was a joke. Each man knew that the enemy knew exactly where they were and it was just a matter of time before they would make themselves known. But for now, it was cold meals and several hours of sleep before the rotation onto lookout.

Setting with Danny, Flack broke into his meal using the small can opener that he carried on his dog tags. "What you having?"

"Beef steak with congealing gravy. Want to trade?"

"Meatballs and beans in tomato sauce?"

"Whoa, no thanks." Danny turned up his noise. "I've got pecan cake roll though."

"Days like this I'm tempted to start eating the crap they identify in the survival handbook. When I get home, I'm going to eat for a week solid. I'm going to find me a hotdog vender and have a dog, then pizza and just work my way through every vender on the block."

"Flack, that street food will kill ya one day. Me. I'm going to let my Mama and Gramma feed me beef Braciole, baked ziti and Tiramisu. My Mama's cooking is the best in the neighborhood!"

"Well, when we get back, I'll come over for Sunday dinner and you can prove it to me." Flack started in on his cold food. "We'd win this fucking war if we started dropping this crap on Charlie. Food would kill them sure as shit."

Both men returned to eating their meal quietly. The talk of home had sobered them and each was lost in their own thoughts.

Someone had asked about some of the words used. Here are some.

LZ –landing zone

The Island: Parris Island, were many Marines went through boot camp


	11. Chapter 11

Author's notes: Sorry to have left you hanging, but my uncle was diagnosed with cancer and then boom; a week later he was gone. The positive thing is that he didn't suffer. Anyway, it is now spring break and I'm stuck for the next three days with my 6 and 5 yr old nephews. Add that together with my 2, 7 yr olds and you have chaos. So, my hope is two or three new chapters before next Tuesday.

This chapter is a build up to some serious action; so let me know if you're ready for what is going to happen!

CSI CSI CSI

The USO show had packed their make-up, costumes, props and instruments and were ready for the flight. They had been instructed to be at the airfield by seven am, but it was now nine and there was no word on how much longer it would be. Several mechanics were examining the right propeller of the Caribou C-7 and would only answer the questions of the show's director with grunts and other non-committal responses.

They had quickly loaded their items and tried to make themselves comfortable. The door to the smaller plane had been opened to allow some fresh air to circulate. Several members of the combo were sitting in the open area to the rear of the plane playing cards. Occasionally shouts and laughter would explode from the players.

Stella eyed her younger friend, "I guess this is our introduction to the military; hurry up and wait."

Lindsay nodded, "I could have used the extra beauty sleep. I'm a little thankful that Bobby has been sent to rehab. I was feeling like I was meeting myself coming and going." Almost as an after thought she added, "He warned me about Danny. Said that he was a real smooth customer."

"Same think I could have told you. I was wondering how long you were going to try to keep up that kind of schedule." Stella admitted. "Why don't you close your eyes and try to get a little sleep?"

"I'll never be able to fall asleep with those guys cutting up back there. Besides, I'll get plenty of sleep tonight after we get back."

Just then, the sound of the engines starting caused the group to cheer. Minutes later the door was secured and the plane began to taxi its way down the runway. A slight bump was felt as the wheels left the tarmac.

Lindsay looked out the small window that was near her seat. Within minutes the countryside; rice paddies, heavily vegetated ridges and then the foothill of the small mountain range replaced the cityscape of DaNang. The plane continued to climb and soon leveled out.

They had been in the air for almost thirty minutes when the plane rocked slightly and the noise level dropped. Those who weren't napping started talking excitedly as they could feel the plane moving downward.

One of the musicians spoke up, "I think they've lost one of the engines." Several of the girls broke into tears at the news. "Don't worry, these planes can run on just one engine. They'll get us low and look for the first friendly spot to set down. These C-7's don't need much room to land. We'll be fine."

His words calmed the group slightly, but many of the girls were now talking in worried tones with one another. Lindsay tightened her seatbelt, her face grim. Glancing over at Stella she was surprised to see the woman's eyes closed and her lips moving silently. 

"Are you alright Stella?"

Stella's eyes remained closed for a moment and when she opened them she turned to look at Lindsay. "I figured it might be a good time to remind God that I'm on his side. The nuns would be proud that I remembered all of my catechism." 

"I didn't even think of that. Maybe I better put in a good word for us as well. Did the nuns happen to mention if God listened to Methodists?" Lindsay tried to joke, but her eyes remained serious.

"I think right now any God might help." Stella's face was pale.

CSI CSI CSI CSI

Their squads had been up since the break of dawn. They carefully removed the trip wires and claymores that had been part of their night perimeter. Danny and Sheldon worked together dismantling a section of it. "Careful with that claymore Doc, it goes off and we'll have to change your name to stubby."

"Don't worry Sarge, I've got soft hands. Besides, something happens to my fingers I'd never be able to play the piano again." Hawkes spoke seriously.

"You play the piano?" Danny sounded impressed.

"No, but I wouldn't get the chance to learn." He smiled broadly as he slid the mine into his pack.

"Funny, Doc, real funny. Come on, let's grab something to eat."

Flack had passed the word that breakfast would be cold and they needed to get on the trail. The communication they had received last night had indicated that reconnaissance had seen what might be a build up of Charlie eight miles to the North. They started off, the men on point watching for tripwires and other booby traps.

It was almost ten a.m. when Flack called for a halt. Pulling out his maps, he and Danny looked at the possible locations that the enemy might have chosen. Deciding on the route, they followed a dirt trail that doubled as the road. It wasn't long before the road narrowed into what could rightly be called a footpath.

Spreading their force out to avoid being bunched up on the trail, it was slow going. The forest canopy overhead gave a slightly claustrophobic feel to the path. They continued for sometime and it was with a sense of relief when they came to the edge of a large area that had been hit with a defoliant at one time or another. The remains of trees and plants made it look like an island of brown in the surrounding sea of green.

Flack motioned for the men to halt until the scouts could work their was around the still green edges looking for Charlie.

The drone of an airplane motor caused the men to pause and step back a little deeper into the shadows of the still healthy trees. Almost all eyes were skyward while they waited for the plane to come closer and allow them to identify which side it belonged to.

Being close, Danny turned to Flack. "Sounds close. This isn't a normal fly zone. Think Charlie knows we are here?"

Shaking his head, Flack answered. "Hell no. If Charlie knew we were here he would send out ground troops to engage us. Either he's supplying someone further in or it's one of ours."

Suddenly a plane appeared and they all recognized it as American. "Flying real low." Danny quipped.

"Yeah, slow too. Those C-7's normally have more air speed."

The plane was out of sight and no sooner had it disappeared, then the sound of gunfire and other weaponry from beyond the clearing was heard. A distinctive whine was heard that could only be one thing; the aircraft that had just flown over had been hit.

"Shit, I think Charlie is letting us know that he's here." Danny double-checked his weapon as an all clear was given from one of the Marines who had made it around to the other side.

"Sounds like he got the plane, I say we find him and engage and try to get to the plane and look for any survivors." Flack started across the ruined landscape. "I hate walking through this crap. You never know what they've sprayed on it. Can't be good for a person."

"Don't worry, I'm sure the Uncle Sam has our best interest at heart." Danny snorted. "Come on, lets make tracks."

CSI CSI CSI 

The plane jolted when something hit it. Screams from the passengers erupted all around and the sound of the engine whining combined to make an unbearable combination. Both Lindsay and Stella tightened their seatbelts and then reached out to hold hands as the plane began to rapidly descend.

It seemed as if they continued on like that forever, when suddenly out the window, the tops of trees were seen. They could also hear the sound of the belly of the plane carving into them as they snapped off at the tops. One minute they were flying and then there was darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

CSI CSI CSI

Author's notes: Thank you so much to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Uncle Sonny was 77 and had lived a very full life; from running away with the circus as a teen (serious-he worked as a roustabout and only came home because he got sick), was part of a motorcycle gang in the 50's (imagine a young Brando on a Harley) and was a devoted hunter and fisher. Of course, when it rains it pours. My 87 year old father went into the hospital last night with pneumonia. A very light case of it, so I'm hoping he won't be in long, but I still worry. I sat with him this afternoon and while he slept, I wrote. I just wish I had a laptop. Hope you like this chapter. The next one should be posted in a day or two.

Thanks again….Lane

CSI CSI CSI

Lindsay's head felt heavy as she tried to open her eyes. She was confused. What was she doing? She sat for a moment, her eyes still closed, trying to remember what was going on. The sounds around her were the sounds of moaning and crying. It hit her like a ton of bricks; the plane. The plane had gone down.

Forcing her eyes open, she glanced at the person next to her. Stella was slumped next to her, her seemingly lifeless body folded over. Her upper body jackknifed over her knees. Panic took over and Lindsay unbuckled her own seatbelt, the fabric constricting her hips. Turning to Stella, Lindsay pulled the red-haired woman into a sitting position. A moan escaped the lips of the injured woman, a river of red blood coursed down her face.

Relieved that Stella was alive, Lindsay glanced around the plane. There was a large opening where the front of the plane had been; the jungle was visible through the jagged hole. Standing up, Lindsay felt shaky and slightly unsteady on her feet, but a quick self-assessment assured her that she was uninjured. Deciding that she needed to get help for her friend, Lindsay turned towards the back of the plane.

She slowly made her way up the aisle, almost drunkenly as she swayed slightly on her feet. Several of the girls that had been sitting near her at the front of the plane were also moving about; most were bleeding or cradling injuries. Lindsay could see that the back of the plane had also broken off. Two of the band members were helping those able to walk off of the plane and into the clearing that had been made by the plane.

Carefully stepping out of the plane, she could see that the main part of the fuselage was lying apart of the rest. The air was full of the heavy smell of aviation fuel and smoke from several small fires burning was rising lazily towards the sky. In shock, she continued to move around the broken plane, looking first in the tail section. Two rows of seats were still attached to the floor of the plane; in each seat a limp form was visible. 

Lindsay was getting ready to approach them and assist them the best she could when the voice of one of the musicians called to her. "Never mind them, they're gone."

She stood dumbfounded for a moment. 'What did he mean gone, they were right there.' No sooner had she thought it then she realized. 'They were dead.' The thought of her friends, alive and laughing just an hour ago, now dead was a sobering thought.

Following the musician, a saxophone player named Rob, over to where other survivors had been carried, Lindsay noticed that there were no pilots or other soldiers among them. "Where are the pilots?" She asked to no one in particular.

"The pilot died just after we got him out of the cockpit. Both of the others were dead already." Ted, the piano play remarked. "Looks like they caught some shrapnel or something. I think that we were hit by some kind of rocket or something."

Shaking her head as if trying to clear her thoughts, Lindsay suddenly remembered what she had come looking for. "Can you help me get Stella? She's unconscious."

"Sure," Ted spoke reassuringly. "Come on and we'll give you a hand with her. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Lindsay pushed a shaky hand through her hair. "When will they be coming to get us?"

"Lindsay, I'm not even sure they know we went down or where we are."

CSI CSI CSI

Not being able to reach their HQ from their location, they made for a higher position. The men pushed their way through as quickly as they could. As they reached the top of a ridge, Flack motioned his radioman over, "Lets get a message back to the base."

The Corporal slide the radio pack off his back and assembled it quickly. Grabbing the handset, he handed it to Flack, "Here you go Sarge."

"Big Daddy, this is Baby Brother, we've got Charlie at the following map coordinates," Flack gave their current location in code and then their new path of travel. He waited for a reply. "Baby Brother, roger and out."

Flack handed the phone back to the young Marine. "Lets roll." 

Danny, who had been busy scanning the area, looking inquiringly towards his friend. "We golden?"

"Yeah. We better start humping towards that next ridge; I think we might have a better view of where that plane went down, cause if it was hit as bad as it sounded it went down. Have you guys seen anything?" Flack asked to others now moving in to hear what the plan was.

"I thought I saw some light smoke to the Northwest." Stanley Weinstein, a bespectacled private from Ohio replied. "Looks like it might be on the other side of that ridge." He pointed towards where he had spotted something.

"Alright, we know Charlie's around, so watch yourself. Williams, you and Brice take point. Let's go."

The men took off, down the side of the steep incline, the two men out in front, looking for the enemy. They hoped that they would make it to the plane in time to help the pilots and any one else unfortunate enough to be on board.

CSI CSI CSI

There had been gunfire from deeper in the jungle. This had caused much discussion among the able bodied survivors. Rob, had been adamant, "If we stay with the plane, the VC or whoever shot us down are going to come looking for us."

Several voiced their agreement. Victor, the show's director had disagreed. "They will come looking for us when we don't arrive, and we don't know if the pilot got word out that we had been hit. We go blundering around out there and we'll never get home. I say we wait. If you are so damn worried about Charlie, you hike out for help."

Feeling that his manhood was being called into question, Rob bristled. "All right. Help me get some supplies together and I'll bring back help."

"All you will end up doing is getting yourself lost or killed." Ted chimed in. "We need to stick together."

"To hell with that. I'm not waiting here like a sitting duck." Rob stalked off towards the plane and began looking for the supplies he felt he would need. Within minutes he spoke with Victor and Ted and then headed off, away from the direction of the gunfire.

Once he had left, Victor and Ted had disappeared into the plane. They came out with four weapons; three were side arms and one M-16. Victor came over to where the survivors were helping the injured. Lindsay was kneeling next to Stella. The redhead had awakened and was slowly sipping some water.

"Do any of you ladies have experience with weapons?" Victor asked. "We are going to post some guards around the plane."

Lindsay spoke up quickly. "I know how to shoot."

"Any good?"

"I grew up on a farm in Montana. I can hit a coyote from 50 yards. I've used a variety of rifles."

"Ok, you take this one." Victor handed her the M-16. "Think you can use it?"

With the critical eye of an experienced shooter, Lindsay looked over the weapon. "I can shoot it."

"Why don't you head over that way and I'll send someone over to relieve you in four hours." Victor turned to Ted, "You go in that direction and I'll find someone else who feels comfortable with a gun. Don't come out of your hiding place until you hear me call for you."

Lindsay moved away from the downed plane and continued into the jungle until she found a tree that she would be able to climb. Pulling her skirt up so to climb unencumbered, she began working her way up to a higher vantage point. She tried to make herself as comfortable as possible, but soon settled for a position that wouldn't cause her to fall.

CSI CSI CSI

It had already been several hours, she was sure of it because the shadows had shifted and the late afternoon sun was having trouble penetrating the deep canopy of leaves overhead. She would have missed it if she hadn't been looking watching closely; there was movement in the foliage about 20 feet from her tree. 

She pulled herself in a tight to the tree as she could, hardly daring to breath. A moment later she released the breath and smiled broadly. There, coming through the plants was a familiar face.

CSI CSI CSI

The men had pushed themselves as fast as they could. Flack and Danny had rotated their men on point frequently, the pressure of walking point could take it's toll on a man quickly.

It had started getting darker, even though it was just late afternoon, the dense undergrowth and tall trees made it seem much later. Danny was in the middle of the pack, slightly off to the side.

Suddenly, a sound above him caused him to look up. Swinging his weapon to his shoulder, Danny fired a burst upward towards the tree. A body came falling towards the earth.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's notes: Again thank you for the thoughts/prayers for my family. Dad is going to hopefully get out by the end of the week. After everything that has happened during my spring break, I think I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation!

Well, here is the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews; I cherish each and everyone of them. Thanks

CSI CSI CSI

It hadn't taken long for the plane to have been reported missing. When it didn't show up at the outlying base, they had gotten on the radio and contacted the airfield in DaNang about the anticipated ETA. When DaNang found out that the plane hadn't arrive they put out word with surrounding bases letting them know that an USO show plane was missing.

CSI CSI CSI

Lieutenant Taylor was in a morning briefing with Captain Hammerback when the information about the missing plane was mentioned. If the news struck Taylor it was not noticeable to anyone else in the meeting. After they were dismissed, Taylor hurried over to the communications center and placed a call to DaNang. A few minutes later the news he had dreaded was confirmed; Stella had been on the flight.

After hanging up the phone, Taylor spoke to the corporal who was manning the radio, "When Sergeant Flack or Messer makes contact today, I want you to tell them this message." Taylor handed him a message alerting them to the USO plane having disappeared.

With that he exited and went in search of the squad that was going out tomorrow. He was going to make sure that he was doing all that he could to help find Stella.

CSI CSI CSI

She had been ready to call down to the young man when she suddenly saw a second person step into her line of sight. The sound of the second person's voice was that of the shrill sing-song of the Vietnamese language. Lindsay shrank against the tree, trying to make her body as much a part of the landscape as she could.

More voices joined in from below the tree, even though she could not understand the words, she seemed to sense the message they were trying to convey. Lindsay could see the first Vietnamese soldier push Rob, propelling him towards the location of the wreck. Turning to glare at the man, the VC slammed the butt of his rifle into the musician's midsection.

Doubling over, Rob struggled to maintain his balance as he was shoved onward again. Within moments the group had moved away from her tree and onward to the plane. She waited for a minute and then very carefully stood up on the branch that she had been sitting on.

She had originally climbed higher in the tree and had found that from close to the top she could see the plane. Deciding that a lower position would give her a better view of the jungle, she had returned to the bottom branches. Now, needing to see what was happening she slowly made her way quietly back up the tree.

She was debating what she should do as she had made it back to the top. The enemy was no longer visible and for a moment she tried to tell herself that maybe she had only dreamt of them beneath the tree.

That thought was shattered when she saw several of the VC rush into the broken clearing. Rob was pushed onto his knees and Lindsay could hear the shouts and screams. Suddenly Ted rushed out from behind the plane, firing his handgun in the direction of the soldiers. Lindsay shrank back in horror as she watched the solders turn their guns towards him and open fire. Ted jerked as the bullets cut into him and with a look of surprise he crumbled to the ground.

One of the soldiers ran over to Ted, who was still moving slightly, and put a bullet into his head. The soldier picked up the weapon that Ted had carried and held it aloft. He started shouting and looking around.

No one moved, the shock of the crash and watching Ted murdered that caused most to freeze. One of the VC silenced the other soldier and began shouting in broken English. "Guns. You bring now."

The only sounds were that of the occasional bird, calling from deep in the jungle. The man repeated his message. A look of anger crossed his face and he went to where Rob was kneeling and put his gun to the American's head. "Guns now!"

Several of the survivors started talking and shaking their heads, crying that there were no more guns. Lindsay tightened her grip on the M-16 she held. Part of her wanted to climb down and start shooting, but she realized that she was no match of the eight enemy troops. She was still internally debating when they shot Rob in the head. There was silence for a moment after the retort of the gun had faded and then the screams of the others began to rise.

The man who had shot Rob walked over to the knot of survivors and grabbed one of the women. Lindsay couldn't help but gasp aloud when she saw that the person they had grabbed was Stella. Stella was forced to kneel and the man wrapped his hand around her hair and pulled her head back so that she would have to look at him. "Guns!" He screamed again.

Victor came out of hiding, his gun held high. A soldier ran over and relieved him of it and motioned him in the direction of the others. Several minutes passed, the man holding Stella seemed to contemplate the situation and then holstered his weapon. He then pulled her to her feet by yanking her up by her hair. Stella moaned and Victor took a step towards her only to receive a gun butt in the stomach.

Twisting her around to face him, the soldier spoke something in his own language and reached out and grabbed one of Stella's breasts and squeezed it tightly, a leer on his face. Stella reacted by spitting at him. In anger he pushed Stella to the ground and grabbed his sidearm.

Several of the other soldiers seeing what had happened began to laugh and jeer at their comrade. They shook their heads and one moved over to Stella and motioned for her to get back with the others.

They then proceeded to force anyone who could walk into a line, indicating that they should remain in that position. Other soldiers walked over to the wounded and began assessing them; several were forced to their feet and pushed into the line. The remaining ones were left lying on the ground. One of the soldiers spoke to the man that seemed to be the leader of the group. Having received a reply, he walked back over to where five survivors that couldn't walk were laying. He pulled out his gun and shot each one in the head.

The group was beyond numb as they watched more of their troupe killed by the enemy. With guns waving them on, they began to march. As they got closer to where Lindsay was hiding, Lindsay saw Stella glance quickly her way. Their eyes locked briefly and an unspoken message passed between the two, 'stay strong'.

It only took a minute and the group was swallowed up by the darkening gloom. Lindsay was too afraid to move from her perch. She closed her eyes and held on to the tree tighter as night began to close in around her.

CSI CSI CSI

Since Danny had shot the VC in the tree, they had moved slowly. Fortunately or unfortunately as the case may be, they did not see any other enemies. Flack was forced to call a halt. The darkness would put them at too much of a disadvantage; Charlie was knowledgeable about the area and terrain, they were not. Reluctantly they dug in for the night and ate their rations cold.

The night passed slowly. Each noise from the jungle caused the men to snap into alertness and after breathless moments, they would go back into the strange sleep/wake pattern of the combat soldier.

As soon as the first light allowed them to see, the men were up and preparing to continue pushing towards were they thought the plane had went down. Their steps were heavy as they moved up another ridgeline.

Once they had reached the top of the ridge, they waited until contact was made with the base. As Flack listened to the message his face became drawn. He repeated their coordinates and gave their intended path of travel.

Danny had been waiting for Flack to relate the information he had received, he hadn't anticipated being pulled aside for a private conversation. "What's up?" He questioned.

"That plane we saw," Flack began. "It was carrying a USO group out of DaNang."

The words sank in slowly and Danny looked at him with disbelief written all over his face. "USO? What in the hell is a group of civilians flying around in a war zone?" His voice was angry. "Do we know who was on it?"

"No. They didn't and I didn't think I should ask. All I know is that we've been told to look for them. Come on, let's get the guys going."

Danny paused a moment, lost in thought. Throwing up a quick prayer, he turned an headed to his men. 'God, please let her be safe.'

CSI CSI CSI

When the night had passed, Lindsay finally allowed herself to climb down. It had been a long night; the sounds of the jungle had kept her on edge all night. The fear of what might be lurking around had kept her high up in the tree.

Reaching the ground, she hurried off the trail and relieved herself of a full bladder. It was then with a heavy heart that she moved towards the plane. Reaching the first of the bodies she turned and retched. Scavengers had been at the bodies in the night and they had torn at the flesh. Now the bugs and flies were finding them and Lindsay knew that she couldn't leave them like this.

Finding a scarf in the luggage, she tied it around her nose in an attempt to block the smell. Satisfied that it would help block a little of the growing smell, she began to move the bodies towards a section of ground where the plane had torn up the dirt. Using a piece of metal, she dug at the ground, trying to scratch out a hole in which to place the first body.

She was resting for a moment after burying the first of the bodies. The morning was already hot and the physical work was wearing her out quickly. It was luck that allowed her to hear the movement in the jungle. Worried that it was the enemy returning, she moved stealthily towards a section of the plane and hid inside. Holding the gun she decided that this time she would use it, she brought it up into a firing position and put her finger on the trigger. She waited patiently for someone to step into the clear.

CSI CSI CSI

They had started seeing the damage the plane had caused on its downward path. Moving quickly they were soon surrounding a large clearing made by the crash. Danny moved up to Hawkes, who had been on point and had been crouched down waiting for the rest to join up with him.

"Hey Sarge." He greeted Danny. "I thought I saw some movement when I first got close, but I've been watching and I don't see anything. Looks like there might be some bodies over there. I didn't want to do anything until you guys were in position in case Charlie is laying over there waiting for us."

"Alright," Danny replied. "I tell you what, you cover me and I'll make a dash for that chunk of tail section. If Charlie is out there, he might bite." Pushing himself up to a crouched position, Danny suddenly bolted and made for the plane.

CSI CSI CSI

She was about ready to squeeze the trigger when she suddenly recognized the person she had been targeting. Setting down the gun carefully, she called out. "Danny Messer."

He had just reached the relative safety of the tail section when he heard his name called. Waiting a moment, he heard it called again and this time it was accompanied with an extra message, "It's me Lindsay."

"Lindsay," he called relief flooding him. "Stay down, we don't know if the enemy is around."

"They were here last night, but they left. I haven't seen anyone since then."

"Ok, Flack it looks safe." Danny shouted out. Breaking his position, he made his way to Lindsay who was hurrying to meet him. Embracing, Danny held her tight, murmuring to her, "It's alright. You're safe now."

Flack stood up from his position and waved the rest of the men in. He had two go out to watch the perimeter. He walked over to where the couple was and addressed Lindsay. "Miss Monroe, we're glad to see that you're safe. Why don't we move over to the shade and you can start telling us what you know." As he spoke, his eyes went to the line of bodies that Lindsay had moved. His voice tapered off when he noticed one grave already complete.

Lindsay could see where his gaze had fallen, "That was Rob, the saxophone player. He was going to walk out and bring back help. The enemy found him and brought him back. They killed him to make the others with guns give up their positions. They took the others with them."

The relief was evident in his voice, "All right. I'll get some men on burial detail. Danny take her over to the shade and give her some water."

He walked over to where some of the men were waiting. He was thankful that Stella had survived the crash, but the idea of her as a captive of the enemy made his blood run cold. There was a sense of urgency in his voice when he told the men to hurry and get the bodies buried because there were others out there that needed their help.

CSI CSI CSI

They had walked until late in the night. Stella's head was pounding and her vision was blurry. Finally, they were allowed to stop and sit for a rest. The soldiers had pushed them into a tight circle and had then posted several men to watch them.

Victor and Mason, the only two remaining men began whispering to each other. Both felt that they should try to rush the guards and grab the guns. This idea was met with much resistance by several of the women.

One of the young women broke into quiet tears, "I just want to go home."

"Well that's not going to happen if they get us back to their camp," Mason hissed. "You know what happens? They will get you girls there and what do you think they'll do with you? I'll tell you what will happen, they will rape you until you wish you were dead. We're better off taking our changes."

"Stop it!" Stella spoke up, her words quiet but the tone sharp. "Just be quiet." She could see one of the guards approaching the group that fell silent under his gaze.

She didn't know what would happen, but rest assured this was one woman that wouldn't be going down without a fight.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's notes: Thanks again for your support and reviews. Dad is out of the hospital and back home!! I hope to get another chapter done this weekend, so watch for it. Thanks again...reviews are food for the mind!

CSI CSI CSI

Danny was sitting with Lindsay; she was drinking water and eating biscuits from his c-rats. "Do you want something else? I think I've got some meatballs." Danny offered.

She shook her head. "I'm good."

Flack sat down next to the couple, "Do you feel up to telling us what happened?"

Lindsay nodded, "I don't know much, but if it will help I tell you what I saw." She took another drink and launched into her tale. Flack and Danny sat quietly, interrupting occasionally to ask for more detail.

When she had finished, Danny gave her a brief hug. "You were pretty brave Lindsay."

She shook her head, "If I was brave I would have done something to help them."

Flack spoke firmly to her, "If you would have tried anything they would have killed you and all we would have is a bunch of dead bodies. You being alive to tell us what happened is going to make the difference." Flack pushed himself up and pulled the map out of his pack. "Danny, I want you and four of your guys to make your way back to that big clearing and arrange for a pick up for Lindsay. Radio in and request an additional squad be dropped when they come for Lindsay. Once they're on the ground you start for this grid here. I'm thinking that Charlie will be headed in this direction." Flack pointed to an area on the map. "We should only be a day behind them right now, but they'll have to move slower. That will give us the chance to catch up."

"You realize if they have that build up that HQ was talking about, you may be walking into a shit storm. They would have you out gunned." Danny looked at his friend with concern. "Maybe you should wait until we can all meet back up?"

"We have a better chance at catching up with them; in fact I'm pulling out with the rest of the men in ten minutes. You and the others stay behind and finish burying the rest. Tomorrow you transmit and then beat ass to the lz. Then catch up with me."

"I hope you know what you're doing." Danny moved off towards his men.

Muttering under his breath, Flack replied, "So do I."

CSI CSI CSI

They had been moving since dawn. They had been given a drink, but no food. Even with the drink the captives were dragging. The short overnight rest had done little to offset the stress of the crash and their abduction. The VC soldiers had screamed and struck at them, but it only increased their speed momentarily.

During their overnight stop, Stella had wrestled with the idea that had been brought up of trying to overtake the guards. It would be foolish, two men and a handful of tired, scared girls that were barely out of high school; they wouldn't stand a chance.

She had however decided upon a plan of her own. As they had been marched out from the crash site Stella had spotted Lindsay in the tree. The knowledge that someone knew of their plight gave her hope. That meant someone would be looking for them and she planned on giving them as much help as possible in tracking them.

The enemy might be able to slip through the deep underbrush without leaving a track, but nine show girls, many barefooted now, wouldn't be that stealthy. Sitting quietly and watching the movements of the guards, Stella sat and carefully ripped small pieces of the lace edge of her slip and once she had it removed, she began to separate it into smaller sections. Slipping it into her skirt's pocket, she was ready for when they began moving again.

So when the prisoners were roused and the march towards the VC camp began again, Stella made sure to position herself towards the middle of the group so that she would be able to drop a scrap of the material without being seen.

Counting off 500 steps she dropped a little piece of the lace. Continuing to walk, she waited to hear if anyone would raise an alarm, but it seemed to pass without notice. Smiling to herself, she began counting again.

CSI CSI CSI

They had finished the grim task of burying the dead and then had decided to make use of the remaining daylight by retracing their path back towards the clearing they had been in the day before.

With just the five of them, Danny had one man on point and another hanging back to watch their six. Lindsay was walking ahead of him, her slim back set in determination.

She was still slightly angry with him Danny thought. Before they left, he had her rummage through the luggage to find shoes that were more sensible than the heels she had been wearing during the flight. Arguing that the shoes belonged to someone else, Lindsay was reluctant to take them. Danny was perplexed over why a little thing like shoes would bother her. After much cajoling, she finally admitted that the owner was one of the girls now lying dead.

Speaking softly to her, Danny told her that he understood, but she needed to do whatever it took to make sure that they got to the landing zone as quickly as possible. Glaring at him she had slid on the pair of loafers.

As the evening shadows began to lengthen, Danny called for a halt and they hurriedly set up a perimeter and hunkered down for the night. Making sure that Lindsay was settled, Danny took up his position and started watching the night.

CSI CSI CSI

Flack had pushed his troops hard, the men on point complaining to each other that he wasn't giving them enough time to clear the trail. As the light waned, Flack conceded that they would need to stop for the evening. The men ate cold rations and settled in, waiting for the dawn.

Trying to find sleep before he took second watch, Flack could feel the dark pressing against him, the sounds of the night all around him. He paused to think about the captives somewhere out there. Having grown up in the Catholic Church, he was no stranger to prayer even though he hadn't done a lot since his alter boy days. Taking a deep breath, he allowed the familiar path of the rosary, mentally holding the crucifix as he began the Apostles' Creed. A feeling of peace spread through him as he meditated. Soon his breathing evened out and sleep found him waiting.

CSI CSI CSI

It was early in the morning when Lieutenant Taylor was summoned to the communications tent. An out of breathe private had informed him that the corporal manning the radio needed to speak with him.

"Lieutenant Taylor, Sergeant Messer is calling in. They've found the USO plane. Pilots are dead, eight dead. VC beat them to it and has captured all remaining except one. They are heading towards these coordinates. He expects to be there by 1800 hours." He pointed to a circle on a map. "Sergeant Flack took the rest of the squad and he is tracking them. They request a pick up of the survivor and request an additional squad be dropped" He waited for the reply.

Mac quickly ran the information around in his mind. There were several squads in right now, so it wouldn't be difficult to pull one of them out. Looking at the map he could see that the anticipated path put them near the suspected build up. 'Suspected, hell.' Mac thought. 'HQ knows Charlie is there, we are just trying to ignore him until they send us more troops, can't win a war without the manpower." Looking up he spoke to the radioman, "Tell him it is a go."

Turning, he left the tent and went to find Captain Hammerback. He was sending a squad out that afternoon and come hell or high water, he planned to be leading it.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's notes: Sorry everyone. I know it's taken me longer to update than I had wanted. It's no fair being a grown-up some times. So much time for work, family, etc. and never enough "me" time. This will hopefully tide you over until the next chapter.

CSI CSI CSI

Dawn wasn't even a promise in the sky when Flack roused the men. Choking down cold rations as they hurried to strike camp, Flack spent several minutes with the two men starting off on point. "I know we're moving fast, but it's the only chance those USO performers have. Charlie gets them back to his camp and we won't get them back."

"You got it Sarge. Is it true that one of them was Bobbie Monroe's sister?" Peterson questioned as he checked his M-16.

"Yeah. She was on the flight." Don spoke to the two men. The other man looked less than enthused. Flack noticed the look and spoke tersely. "I'll switch out point if you don't think you're up to it Kyle." Flack's icy glaze raked over the second man.

"No Sarge," Kyle shouldered his pack, his tone slightly less disgruntled since being called on his attitude.

"Gotta die sometime, let's rock and roll." Peterson smiled a slightly manic smile. "I've got a present for Charlie." He patted his gun.

"Alright," Flack spoke loudly. "Lets find'em." Moving out the Marines quickly blended into the dim light of the breaking down.

CSI CSI CSI

They had gotten up before dawn and had started moving towards the LZ; the men moving as quickly as they could with a civilian slowing them down. Lindsay had tried to keep up as best she could; still it was several hours before they arrived at the appointed location.

Once there, Danny had radioed for the pick up. When the helicopter was getting close to the clearing, Danny pitched a smoke grenade out and the green smoke began to drift skyward.

The sound of the rotors approaching caused Lindsay to look up. Danny and the others had positioned themselves to provide cover fire if needed and he had shown Lindsay where she should remain until he came for her. Crouching behind the tree, she reflected on the conversation that she and Danny had last night.

Lindsay had rolled up in a blanket and was leaning against the shallow foxhole that the men had dug for her. Danny had knelt down near her, "You doing ok there Linds?"

"I'm fine. I wonder if they're still alive?" Lindsay's voice was full of despair.

"Hey now, Charlie ain't got no reason to kill them." Danny spoke reassuringly.

"Just like they didn't need a reason to kill the injured or Rob. Don't bullshit me Danny, I know that they are as good as dead if the enemy decides that they've outlived their usefulness."

"You're right Lindsay, but from what I've seen Stella isn't the type to give up. I bet she'll be watching out for the other girls as well."

"You're right. Danny, bring her back ok." Lindsay's voice took on a slight pleading tone.

"Hey, I'm gonna do my best. Stella's a good friend isn't she."

"Yes. She took me under her wing when I arrived. I know she acts like nothing can get to her, but she's been hurt real bad once and it's caused her to throw up a wall. She's just scared to let anyone in."

"I think Flack would like to try. I got the idea he might have been shot down by her."

"I hope he has the chance to try again." Lindsay closed her eyes and willed sleep to find her.

Blinking her eyes, Lindsay returned to the present. Danny had moved out into the open so that the door gunner or pilot could see him. The copter landed and Marines began jumping from the open doors. Crouching down they scanned the area, watching for any sign of an enemy presence.

Lindsay suddenly felt a grip on her arm. One of the men had moved up into position and was indicating that she should follow him. Running to the copter, the blades still spinning furiously, Lindsay caught sight of Danny moving towards her.

Replacing the other man, Danny guided her to the machine. Lowering their heads, Danny helped her into the open door. Lindsay turned to look at him and yelled close to his ear. "Come back to me, ok!"

Smiling his normal easy grin, Danny shouted back. "You got it!" Looking at the door gunner, he wasn't surprised to see Stokes grinning back. "Take care of her!" He pointed at Lindsay. He turned and made his way back to the edge of the clearing.

The bird lifted off and turned towards the direction of the base. Looking around at the newly arrived squad Danny was surprised to see Lieutenant Taylor. "Sir." Danny acknowledged his commanding officer without the customary salute; the lack there of being standard operation procedure.

"Messer, ready to head out?" Mac looked at the men that they had joined. Mac could tell that they had been pushing hard, but time was of the essence.

"Let's do it." Danny adjusted his pack and along with the others, set out in an attempt to intercept Flack's group.

CSI CSI CSI

Stella had run out of material pieces, so she tried to disturb the small as much as she could without drawing attention to herself. The sun had risen high in the sky and the temperature had risen to "downright miserable". The energy level of the group of captives was waning.

Ahead, one of the girls stumbled and fell. She began to cry, as she lay sprawled on the ground. Immediately several of the guards ran over to her and tried to pull her to her feet. The sounds of crying were interspersed with their shouts. Back on her feet, the young woman leaned onto the shoulder of another woman and the line continued on.

Pushing her hair back away from her face, Stella wiped at the sweat that threatened to run into her eyes. Fixing her eyes on the back of the person in front of her, she began to walk again. Her thoughts running a wide gamut; from her concern for Lindsay to the regrets she had in her life. 'Stop!' She chastised herself. 'There's no need to be thinking that this is the end.'

CSI CSI CSI

There had been plenty of signs of foot traffic, but it was possible that it could be from someone other than the group they were looking for. Deciding that they would follow it until they found some sign of the USO group, the Marines pushed onward.

It was almost noon when one of the point men found a piece of white material. Flack turned it over in his hands. "Definitely something from a woman." He slid it into a pocket. "We're on the right track. Perez and Lynch, take point. Be careful, we might be getting close.


	16. Chapter 16

Lindsay had found it hard to let herself relax as the helicopter flew back towards the base

Author's notes: No I didn't get kidnapped, abducted by aliens or even win the lottery. I have a part in a community theater production of On Golden Pond and my director has been really working us. However, the last chapter will be posted in a day or two. I know how it goes, so hopefully it will write it's self!

Thanks for sticking with me!

CSI CSI CSI

Lindsay had found it hard to let herself relax as the helicopter flew back towards the base. The door gunner turned and smiled at her; his grin split is whole face. He then pointed above her head and then at his own protected ears.

Feeling confused, Lindsay turned and looked at the space behind her. A pair of ear protectors hung on a hook. Gesturing, the gunner motioned for her to put them on.

Slipping them over her ears, she welcomed the reduction in sound. Nodding her thanks, she then closed her ears and said a quiet prayer for the girls and without a moments hesitation she added Danny in for good measure.

CSI CSI CSI

Flack could feel that they were getting closer. He didn't think that the enemy could push the survivors much faster. He and his men had been following what was little more than a footpath for hours. Several times the path had split and had it not been for the scraps of fabric, they probably would have lost them.

'Someone is using their head.' Flack thought as they hurried along, his point men ahead clearing the way. 'Hopefully they'll know what to do if the bullet start flying.'

CSI CSI CSI

Mac put his water bottle up to his lips and took a deep pull on the tepid water. They had been marching for three hours when he called for them to take five. Every man took advantage of it by grabbing a quick drink.

Danny approached the Lieutenant and waited until Mac had finished his drink. "I didn't get the chance to ask, has HQ got any new intel on where Charlie is massing?"

"Not when we left. They claim that the 3rd Battalion is waiting for reinforcements before they start to push into this sector. Supposedly they are under 50 of they're fighting strength. HQ felt that the LRRP (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol) that had reported increased troop movement could only really account for the possibility of four, maybe five platoons."

"So what happens when we stumble over them?"

"We engage if we have too." Mac hooked his canteen back on and stood. "Let's move."

Danny spoke low to himself as Mac moved away. "Doesn't sound like good odds. Even if we hook back up with Flack; twenty-four Marines against double or triple that."

CSI CSI CSI

It was late afternoon and they had come to a valley; the trees and the undergrowth thinning. A small village was visible as they were herded out of the jungle. Stella noticed the villagers were tentatively approaching the group. Several young children broke from the group and ran chattering towards the soldiers.

The demeanor of the soldiers changed as they saw the children. The half smiles playing around the lips of some of the captors led Stella to believe that they either knew these villagers or perhaps they were fathers themselves. The soldier at the head of the line stopped and several of the children moved closer, staring at the Americans. The wary look in the eye of the children made Stella believe that if she said, "boo" they would scatter in fright.

An older man slowly exited from a small hut and limped toward the lead soldier. Their conversation was animated and ended with the soldier bowing respectfully to the old man. Turning back to the others, he indicated towards another hut in the village. The remaining soldiers pushed the women and men into the small structure.

The Americans filed into the small hut and the tone and gestures of the guard left no double in their minds that they were to sit and be quiet. The guard stepped back out and stood near the door. The captives looked at each other inquisitively, not daring to talk to one another.

CSI CSI CSI

The sun had now reached the mid part of the afternoon; normally they would be starting to set up camp, but the point men had come back and reported that they had seen a village in a clearing ahead. They had found scraps of the cloth on the path that turned towards the village.

Flack motioned his radioman over and soon was contacting the other squad. Using the current code they relayed the coordinates to Taylor and the others. Flack estimated that it would take Taylor at least four hours to catch up with them since they could take a more direct route.

It was agreed that Flack's men would surround the village as best as possible and wait for Taylor to show. Before sending the men to their posts, Flack spoke to them about the need to keep the hostages safe.

Watching the men blend into the shadows, Flack took up his own position. The decreasing light made it difficult to track the movements of the villagers. So far he had seen three Vietnamese women, an old man, and six young children. He wasn't happy to see that there were women and children in the village. Not that he would have expected it to be uninhabited, but the idea of innocent women and children being in the line of fire left him cold. 'They're not innocents.' He told himself, thinking about the adults in the village. 'But the children are. This isn't their fight.' Flack's inner turmoil continued unabated while he watched the village fade from site.

CSI CSI CSI

The moment that Flack had signed off, Mac had put the wheels in motion to ensure that when they hit the village they would have helicopters coming in to pull the survivors out.

Once that was done, Mac looked at the men and without any disagreement they took off at a brisk pace.

It was when the night became too thick to see through that the men stopped. Setting up a fast perimeter, they settled in for a few hours of sleep.

CSI CSI CSI

The hut was stifling, no windows were available to provide fresh air and the door was shut. The captives were lying on the dirt floor, several of them pairing up to provide emotional comfort for each other. Stella sat with her back against the far wall, Victor and Mason near her.

"They aren't going to keep us, they'll trade us for something." Victor sounded optimistic.

"I don't know Vic, they supposedly have a hell of a lot of prisoners of war and you don't hear about them getting traded." Mason eyed the door nervously.

"They'll be looking for us." Stella added quietly.

"Stella," Victor spoke gently. "The government has a lot more to worry about than a bunch of second rate entertainers. Maybe if we had Bob Hope with us, but as it is Vic Ramone isn't going to rate the cavalry riding into the rescue."

"I think we should try to overpower the guards and slip away." Mason whispered.

"No, we should keep our heads down and be ready." Stella's voiced her confidence in the idea of a rescue being mounted. "If worse comes to worse, we watch for a break."

"We should probably have a signal or a sign to let the others know what's happening." Victor remarked.

"I know," Mason replied tersely. "Flip the bird or say Go."

"I'll spread the word." Victor moved silently to the others.

Stella closed her eyes and allowed herself to dream of rescue. The helicopters dipping in to grab them and the hands reaching for them were so clear. What wasn't clear however was who was doing the rescuing. The face of the Marine helping her was obscured. Opening her eyes, Stella felt the moisture prickling at the corners. A quick wipe ensured that no one else would see her worry.

CSI CSI CSI

Danny felt the night slipping away as he tried in vain to sleep. Even the thought of Lindsay, safe back at the base, did little to appease his mind. Maybe he had fallen asleep because now he could see Mac's outline, kneeling by his pack, organizing it in preparation for the rescue that would hopefully taking place.

Pushing himself up from the ground, Danny saw Mac react to his movement. Quietly he moved to the Lieutenant's position and crouched down. "Sir, how long until we move out?"

"Probably at least 45 minutes. We'll let it lighten up just a little more. It won't do us any good to go stumbling around in the dark; although I don't like waiting. God knows how quick Charlie might decide to move again."

"Flack and his men should be able to hold them until we get there." Danny knew that his friend wouldn't let the hostages be taken again.

"If they have to engage some civilian is going to get shot. Once we get there we will have the number advantage and can swarm in securing the hostages first." Mac stood and spoke to the men asleep on the ground. "Let's get going men."

CSI CSI CSI

The morning dawned with a heavy fog reducing the visibility slightly. Flack could still make out the buildings in the village, but the inhabitants were shrouded in the haze. Hoping that the weather would keep the enemy stationary for the day, he settled in and continued to watch.

Two hours later Flack was slowly working through tensing and relaxing his muscles, trying to loosen the knots that had formed. A glance at his watch confirmed the time; the others should be converging on this area soon. Motioning to the private positioned several feet from him, Flack moved backwards quietly; his stealth surprising for a man of his size.

Dropping back to the radioman's position, it only took several minutes for them to contact Mac's group. A quiet conversation and Flack was making his way back to his spot. 'Hold on twenty minutes.' He thought to himself, 'twenty more and we'll get you free Stella.'

CSI CSI CSI

Stella was stiff. The dirt floor had been predictably hard and now she tried to work the kinks out of her back. Most of the others were still sleeping fitfully. Setting up carefully, she eased close to the door and tried to look out of the cracks. The mist that hung heavy in the air gave the view a surreal appearance. Even the jungle was hidden from her view.

CSI CSI CSI

He turned when he heard light footsteps approaching him; he nodded to the two men as they dropped in beside him. "Nice you could join us." Flack whispered in his normal deadpan tone.

"Though we would give you the chance at glory." Danny grinned at him briefly.

"What's the situation?" Taylor got right to business.

"That small hut on the edge to the left is where they are being held. There is one guard on the door. The other men are in the big hut at the center of the village, I have only seen an old man and young boys. I've also counted about 10 women and 8 children, most of them toddlers or older." Flack didn't take his eyes off the village.

Mac nodded. "Fog is starting to lift. I'll radio for the dust off and then we'll hit them. I'll have you and your men to around to the other side of the village and draw the fire away from the captives. Danny, you take the hut, and I'll take the flanking side. Get into position and lets go in fifteen. Questions?"

Both men shook their head no and began moving to collect their men and move into position. Mac radioed for the air support and then moved his men into position to wait.

CSI CSI CSI

The lifting of the fog was the sign the North Vietnamese were waiting for. They began to move about the camp, finding food and preparing to move out with their captives.

A black uniformed VC crossed over to the small hut and stood conversing to the guard on the door. Stella and the others could hear the voices and knew that more than likely they would soon be moving again. Several of the women began speaking quietly, vocalizing their fears.

Mason looked at Stella. "I think we should make our move when they bring us out of the hut."

"Let's wait and see." Stella helped another girl stand and then moved to the door again, hoping to see something that would help them.

CSI CSI CSI

To the Marines everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The final tick of the clock brought gunfire from Flack's side, the screams and returning fire indicated that the villagers as well as the VC were prepared to fight for their village.

One of Mac's men made his way to the small clearing next to the huts and popped smoke to help guide the copters into the area. The others under Mac's command were trying to pick off the enemy as they fired upon Flack's men.

At the start of the diversion, Danny and the others had swarmed the hut; the two guards going down like wet bags of cement. Throwing open the door, Danny stepped in. "Ready to go home?"

Stella recognizing him smiled broadly, "Danny! I knew you would come for Lindsay. Did you find her?" She peppered him with questions.

"No time for talk. She's safe. All right, we are getting out of here and I need you to follow and keep low. Copters will be landing soon. I want the first six of you to go with Private Martin."

The sounds of the weapons were joined by the beat of rotors approaching. The first group exited the hut and began making their way to the clearing. The first copter touched down and was away in minutes. The VC throwing ammunition towards the Heuy, but did not manage to hit anyone or anything.

The next bird was coming in as the others exited and began making their way towards their ride. Suddenly new gunfire was heard from the jungle, reinforcement, either called or alerted by the gunfire began shooting at the fleeing Americans.

Danny was bringing up the rear, focusing on the running women ahead of him, when a bullet slammed into his side. Being pushed to the ground by the force, Danny tried to rise, but was hit by another bullet.

Flack had been moving towards the village, his men working on tightening the noose, when the enemy had began shooting from the jungle. He caught sight of the last group running to the waiting bird when he saw Danny hit. Breaking cover, he ran to the side of his friend. Not taking time to access the wound, he pulled Danny into a fireman's carry and began the trek to safety.

Flack was at the door; the gunner was laying down fire as other hands reached for the wounded Marine. Recognizing Sheldon, Flack felt confident in Danny's chances. No sooner had he relinquished his load than he turned to motion for his men to make the move to load. He saw the men making their way toward him; he turned and started to climb into the open door. His gaze landed on a weary Stella, he smiled and suddenly his world went black.


	17. Chapter 17

Author's notes: As promised, the ending

Author's notes: As promised, the ending.

July 4, 1995

The day was incredibly warm; the blue of the sky was barely broken by white traces of clouds. He looked at the long stream of people moving slowly past the black granite wall. 'Of course,' he thought. 'A holiday like the 4th would bring people out in droves. Not the best day for a first time visit. I don't know why I let them talk me into coming today of all days.'

"Doing alright?" A soft feminine voice inquired.

Smiling at his wife of twenty-five years he nodded. "I think you better worry more about that grandson of yours. I don't think Donny is going to understand and will want to play instead."

"Don't you worry about that boy; his father will take care of him." I think we need to go down to the west panels. Maybe I should ask someone."

"I can handle it darling. Besides, walking past the other names really puts it all in perspective. I think about all of the friends I lost and how I'm lucky enough to wake up each morning with a beautiful wife, a loving family and a great job with New York City's finest. I just wish he could be here too, you know we used to joke that when we came back we would each take up our father's "business" and still get to see each other."

"I doubt that would have happened." She was a little surprised how talkative her husband had become; the time spent in Vietnam was usually a subject he had little interest in.

They had reached the midpoint of the memorial and were closing in on the names they were looking for. She glanced around and saw that their son and his wife were stopped and scanning names; their three year old son held tight in his father's arms. Placing her hand supportively on her husband's arm they moved closer.

Her eyes glancing over names looking for the familiar.

He found it right away and without thought reached forward as it being drawn to the name etched into the reflective black slate. "Hey there buddy." His voice was thick with emotion and he pulled a bent photo from his pocket and placed it at the base. The black and white photo showed two men, one tall and dark haired, the other shorter wearing thick black military issue glasses. This had been a happier time, a chance photo taken outside their hooch. Both looked young and both were smiling.

"Grandpa cry." A small voice piped up.

He realized that he was. The tears had become a torrent, coursing down his face. Twenty-six years worth of pain had surfaced and he found he could no sooner hold them back then he could have saved his friend on that fateful day.

"Shhhhh Donny!" Michelle, the wife of his oldest son whispered. "Grandpa is sad. He lost a friend."

"Find him." Donny replied and wiggled out of his father's grasp. Going to his grandfather and grabbing his hand, he pulled on it. "Find him Grandpa. I help."

Looking down at little Donny, so determined in his insistence that they find his friend, he couldn't help but smile. "I'm afraid I can't do that buddy. When your Mommy said I had lost a friend, she meant he is in heaven now."

"With Jesus?" Donny looked solemn.

"I'm sure he is, because he was a good guy. In fact little man, I named your Daddy after him."

"Your friend was named Daddy?" The little boy was confused.

He kneeled down, mindful of how his hip would sometimes catch; a reminder of the injury he had sustained on that fateful day. "No, we named him Don, because that was my friend's name. Why don't we go find someplace to sit down and I'll tell you about how brave my friend Don was."

The little group left slowly, listening to Dan Messer tell the story of how he and Don Flack had become friends. The photo left at the base remained; a testament to a friendship severed only by death.

Author's note: Tears were streaming down my face as I typed this. It was hard for me to kill Flack, I love the character so much. But the harsh reality of war is that people, good and bad, die. The experience of war is so terrible that some men and women still can not unburden themselves of this pain; my brother-in-law is one; "Hope that someday you can find peace with it Don."

Thanks to everyone who read this and reviewed it means a lot to know that someone appreciates your idea and writing. Also, I got several other stories brewing, so keep an eye out for me posting one soon. I've got a dandy idea for a CSI/Numb3rs cross-over!


	18. Chapter 18

Author's notes: I've had several of you write requesting a follow-up on what had become of our CSI's. Please read at your own risk…..your idea of what would become of them might be different than mine, so read if you like….Thanks again!

CSI CSI CSI

The group found a spot to sit along the wooded pathway of the Constitution Gardens. The large trees provided shade from the hot sun. Around them were other families enjoying the beautiful holiday weather.

Donny sat down in the grass and promptly removed his shoes. He giggled in delight as the cool grass tickled his feet. The adults watched as he wiggled his toes and then nestled down into his mother's lap.

Danny put his arm around his wife. "I know we always told you that your mother and I met while I was in Vietnam and she was with the USO, but there is more of the story." Danny and Lindsay both told the story of their meeting and Danny's part in her rescue.

"I got back to the base and as soon as the copter touched ground I had to start defending myself from that door gunner. What was his name? Remember, he was so crazy."

"He was from Texas. Hell, I don't remember his name anymore. I think I heard he ended up getting shot down. He was always after the girls."

"So, I got back and it wasn't until three days later that I was able to get in and see your father." Lindsay smiled at her husband.

"What happened to you Dad? I know you got shot, but you've never wanted to talk about it." Don asked.

"We had started taking fire from the jungle. Charlie had reinforcements that showed up at the wrong time for us. I was running to the plane, Stella was just ahead of me."

"Stella?" Michelle, their daughter-in-law asked.

"She was a good friend of mine in the USO." Lindsay added. She was such a talented performer. She ended up moving to California and working in the movies." Lindsay explained.

"I thought Flack and her would have made a great couple." Danny interjected.

"Stella was married four times. Never could find happiness." Lindsay replied sadly. "She died of an accidental overdose. The tabloids had a heyday with it. She had been having an affair with a younger man and there was speculation that it was a crime of passion. I think she was probably tired of living with the heartache. She had an affair with a Lieutenant for left her for his ex-girlfriend."

Danny picked the tale back up, "I got hit in the side and the leg. Flack came and grabbed me; he had gotten me into the copter, Doc Hawkes was already in. Thank God for him, probably saved my life. Tied off a bleeder and kept me alive. He went back to medical school after he got out. Practices in Chicago." Danny's eye had a far off look, as if he were no longer aware of his surroundings. "I remember laying there and Flack was climbing in when they shot him. VC must have had snipers; they got him in the back. He lived for several minutes." Danny's voice had softened with the memories. "He knew he was dying. I could tell it in his eyes. Stella moved over and held his hand. I passed out and when I woke up and it was two days later."

Danny paused and then continued, " Hawkes came around and told me everything I missed. Said that the rest of the squad barely got out. If it hadn't been for Flack, I would have never made it to the copter before the VC swarmed the area. They awarded him a Purple Heart and Bronze Star posthumously. After I got home I made it a point to look up his parents. Don was their only son and it hit them hard. His father was a member of NYPD and had hoped that Don would follow in his footsteps. I would go over to visit them and before you know it, I was applying at the academy."

"Your parents weren't happy about that." Lindsay reminded him.

Danny snorted, "To put it mildly. Your Grandfather was mortified that his good Italian son would become a cop. I was person non-gratis until he died, then Momma softened a little. On my graduation day the Flacks were the only ones, other than your mother, that came to watch me receive my badge. Donald Flack Sr. was a legend in the force and being a surrogate son had its privileges."

A soft snort came from the little blonde-haired boy; he had fallen asleep in his mother's lap. She looked down and stroked his hair lovingly. "I'm really glad we decided to name him Donald. We had debated having a "junior", but after hearing about your friend, I'm glad we did."

"So Dad," Donald Messer Sr. asked. "Do you keep in touch with any of the others you served with?"

"Not really." Danny reflected. "I did run into my Lieutenant once, back in the 80's. Believe it or not, he had moved to Florida and was working for the Miami police department. He was at a convention that I went to about analyzing crime scenes. He was presenting information on the new breakthroughs in using DNA to identify criminals."

"Mommy. I'm hungry." The little boy had awakened slightly.

"You know Donny, Grampa is too. Let's find something to eat. I think we've spent enough time here today."


End file.
